Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 52
  1. #1
    nightflier
    Guest

    New book: Current-Driving of Loudspeakers

    I saw this on Enjoy the Music.com, and thought it was interesting. I wonder what it will do for speaker manufacturing:

    A new book titled Current-Driving of Loudspeakers by Esa Meriläinen ($27.76) demonstrates new process for loudspeaker feeding. Meriläinen argues that conventional loudspeaker technology is flawed and introduces a new method for loudspeaker feeding called current-drive. According to Meriläinen, all audio power amplifiers in use today deliver voltage signals despite the fact that electrodynamic speakers respond only to current. Meriläinen argues that virtually all speaker systems have been severely impaired by the diverse electromotive forces induced in the voice coil that corrupt the flow of current. In response, he has developed new design practices and example circuits to operate the loudspeaker by controlled current, eliminating major distortion factors and offering what he feels is a superior listening experience. "Why have the basic laws of electrodynamics been ignored in the design of all loudspeaker operations?" Esa Meriläinen asks. "These design flaws affect the quality of all sound produced by loudspeakers everywhere and therefore perhaps even the musical preferences and choices of our entire culture." In addition to new concepts for amplifier and speaker design and demonstrative projects, the book also features ideas for modeling, filter design, measurements, and protection and provides a useful tutorial on analog linear systems. It can be purchased from Amazon.com at this link.

  2. #2
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Analog Synagogue
    Posts
    4,363
    Looks great Flier, thanks for the rec.

  3. #3
    _ Luvin Da Blues's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    _
    Posts
    1,951
    I haven't read the book but this doesn't make any sense at all. Current in a electrical circuit is a function of applied voltage and loading in the circuit, unless he is introducing a varying secondary load (not a good thig) I can't see how this would work.
    Back in my day, we had nine planets.

  4. #4
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by Luvin Da Blues
    I haven't read the book but this doesn't make any sense at all. Current in a electrical circuit is a function of applied voltage and loading in the circuit, unless he is introducing a varying secondary load (not a good thig) I can't see how this would work.

    I agree, voltage is only the pressure that drives current .
    You can trade one for the other, as in the high power section of a CRT set,
    but you have to have both.
    Havent looked at this one, but on first glance its looney tunes.
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  5. #5
    nightflier
    Guest
    Well yes, I know it sounds a bit out there, but I hardly think there would be a book about it if it was nonsense.

  6. #6
    Forum Regular harley .guy07's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Springfield, Mo
    Posts
    1,594
    I believe you guys tobe right on this one. You need both I would not see it being able to be done in the way that he explained unless he just does not explain things well and he missed a lot of info but from what he said he does not have a valid idea in my book

    Marantz SR5008(HT)
    Nu Force P8 Preamp (2 channel)
    Pass Labs X150.5(2 channel)
    Adcom 545 mk2 power amp(rear channel amp)
    Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S Mains Speakers
    Dayton 8" HO custom sealed subwoofer(2 channel)
    Yamaha NS-c444 center channel
    Emotiva ERD-1 surround speakers
    JBL e250p subwoofer highly modified
    Samsung 46" LED TV
    OPPO BDP-83 blue ray/multi format player
    ps-audio NuWave dac (2 channel)
    Dell I660 music server running fidelizer windows 8 audio optimizer
    PS Audio Quintet power center



  7. #7
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
    Well yes, I know it sounds a bit out there, but I hardly think there would be a book about it if it was nonsense.
    I don't know about that, theres' tons of books out there about socialism.
    John KENNETH GRAILBRAITH , and the brainless idiot , John Maynard keynes,
    that he worships at the feet of, both won noble peace prizes and neither knows beans
    about economics.
    Current is like water, , voltage is water pressure.
    What you stated was that voltage is favored by current speaker designers.
    Thats like saying that a water company favors water pressure over water.
    But I am not surprized, with the current state of intellectual discourse the way it is,
    the college student who vetted this book probably has the equivalent of a eight grade
    education, if that much.
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  8. #8
    nightflier
    Guest
    Well here is the author's website:

    http://www.current-drive.info/

    Again, I'm no engineer, I leave that to those who know. But if Esa Meriläinen is correct in his conclusions than this is definitely a big deal for speaker manufacturing. Pix, I'm not going into a politics discussion about this, that's too far off topic, however, books in the hard sciences typically don't get published unless there's some viability behind them. I'm curious if this is the case here, from some of you who know more about electrical engineering than I do.

  9. #9
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,462
    Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
    According to Meriläinen, all audio power amplifiers in use today deliver voltage signals despite the fact that electrodynamic speakers respond only to current.
    Apparently, he is unaware of the Nelson Pass designed First Watt F4 which is a current amplifer having no voltage gain.

    Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
    Meriläinen argues that virtually all speaker systems have been severely impaired by the diverse electromotive forces induced in the voice coil that corrupt the flow of current.
    Except when you have no voice coils at all in the case of electrostatics. They are inherently high impedance voltage driven transducers.

    rw

  10. #10
    nightflier
    Guest
    eStat, can you elaborate? I don't think Meriläinen can account for every amplifier made, and I don't know the Pass designed one as well, either, but generally speaking he's right, no? I also think he's talking primarily about cone/box based speakers, which still represents the vast majority of speakers out there. If he's right, those are the manufacturers I was referring to in my comment about this being a big shift in the industry.

  11. #11
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,462
    Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
    eStat, can you elaborate?
    Sorry, I had intended to link to more info about the product. Essentially, it multiplies the current from the preamp.

    F4

    Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
    I don't think Meriläinen can account for every amplifier made, and I don't know the Pass designed one as well, either, but generally speaking he's right, no?
    Generally yes, but I'm put off my his "virtually all amplifier" comment.

    rw

  12. #12
    Suspended atomicAdam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Oaktown!
    Posts
    1,774
    Quote Originally Posted by pixelthis
    I don't know about that, theres' tons of books out there about socialism.
    John KENNETH GRAILBRAITH , and the brainless idiot , John Maynard keynes,
    that he worships at the feet of, both won noble peace prizes and neither knows beans
    about economics.
    Why do you do this? Why can't you just stick to audio stuff in this part of the forums? There has to be an audio or video example you can use in this case instead of getting political, which, is pretty much just flame bating.

  13. #13
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by atomicAdam
    Why do you do this? Why can't you just stick to audio stuff in this part of the forums? There has to be an audio or video example you can use in this case instead of getting political, which, is pretty much just flame bating.
    SIMPLE... if I talk about "power cords", "that great (ahem) tube sound", or any of the other five thousand audiophile fantasies floating around right now, its off to the races.
    This sounds like yet another fantasy concocted to sell the audio eqivalent of pet rocks,
    like we need another one.

    Anyway it was poorly stated, you can construct speakers that use more current
    than voltage(or relatively more) but I FAIL TO SEE THE POINT.But then again I fail to see the point in a "power cord" that sells for hundreds, and comes outta the same plant as one that sells at WALFART FOR A BUCK FIFTY.
    Anyway, whatever this guys selling, I BET someone will buy into it.
    Like P.T Barnum said, theres' a sucker born every minute.
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  14. #14
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Cool

    And you can only buy so many overengineered "power cords".
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  15. #15
    Phila combat zone JoeE SP9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    2,710
    `Every one is forgetting that an AC motor is essentially a current driven device. A voice coil driven speaker is just an AC motor. Transformer coupled ESL's are voltage driven devices. Check some of Carvers' Sunfire literature for a amplifier manufacturers take on this.

    Once again "pix" has interjected where he has an inadaquate knowledge base. Apparantly you can't see much and hear even less.
    ARC SP9 MKIII, VPI HW19, Rega RB300
    Marcof PPA1, Shure, Sumiko, Ortofon carts, Yamaha DVD-S1800
    Behringer UCA222, Emotiva XDA-2, HiFimeDIY
    Accuphase T101, Teac V-7010, Nak ZX-7. LX-5, Behringer DSP1124P
    Front: Magnepan 1.7, DBX 223SX, 2 modified Dynaco MK3's, 2, 12" DIY TL subs (Pass El-Pipe-O) 2 bridged Crown XLS-402
    Rear/HT: Emotiva UMC200, Acoustat Model 1/SPW-1, Behringer CX2310, 2 Adcom GFA-545

  16. #16
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by JoeE SP9
    `Every one is forgetting that an AC motor is essentially a current driven device. A voice coil driven speaker is just an AC motor. Transformer coupled ESL's are voltage driven devices. Check some of Carvers' Sunfire literature for a amplifier manufacturers take on this.

    Once again "pix" has interjected where he has an inadaquate knowledge base. Apparantly you can't see much and hear even less.
    I spent three years learning about current and voltage, and while quite rusty, still remember a great deal of it, thank you very much.
    In the first place, there is no voltage "gain" in most amps, try running 120 volts from a wall socket thru a speaker to see why, no there is a voltage reduction at the power supply.
    A lot of the heat from a power supply comes from shedding the voltage and current from a wall socket and downstepping it to something an electronic device can use.
    You can't have a "zero voltage" device, well you can, but its otherwise reffered to as
    turned off.
    There is no current without voltage, aint gonna happen.
    There are low voltage high current devices, like car batteries, people wonder how a car battery can kill, well, its up to 600 amps, which is huge, but its only 12 volts.
    Or you can trade current for voltage, like the jacobs ladder we built in class(two vertical wires with a rising spark, like in the monster movies).
    In that case a step up transformer trades current for voltage, about 10,000 volts.
    A INTERACTION with a CRTS high voltage section (30,000 volts or so) will knock you
    on your azz, but wont kill you, because of the very low current.
    NOW, you can run a "high current" speaker, but since they are "motors"(a bit of an oversimplecation) they should be high current (reletively ) already.
    But I FAIL TO SEE what running "high" current through one will do, or help.
    It will require robust output devices, either tube or solid state, and I just don't see the point, really.
    As for "the scientific" community vetting an idea, give me a break.
    Scientists are usually quite smart, but have little experience with dealing with the variouis con artists that are out there, and when scientific evidence is presented, its usually ignored if it doesnt meet the biases of the recipient.
    For instance, I posted a link to a website that had valid scientific proof that typical audio
    famtasies like ultra expensive "power cords" and "speaker cables" are so much hookum,
    and got lambasted for my trouble, by peeps on this site who claimed, at the end, that they just didnt care about the "facts", they liked their toys and werent going to part with them, apparrently preferring to live with imaginary gains in performance than real ones.
    Sadly, the audio community is bad about drawing con artists and shills of all varities,
    because they know that a lot of so called "enthusiasts" will buy into just about anything, caring more about massaging their egos than actually improving their gear.
    And nobody cares, there is nobody of any integrety that will stand up and say the emperoure has no clothes.
    HERES THE REAL DEAL, most equipment at the higher end of the audio scale is built like a tank, actual gold plate is used in places, and in the case of solid state, will last a
    very long time.
    So manufacturers have to come up with some reason for fans to buy new gear,
    and lets face it, fans love a reason to buy new gear.
    So nobody cares, and I guess its not entirely a bad thing, keeps the Arizona copper miners employed mining copper for rediculously high gauge "power cords" and the like.
    And I can see it in a few years, the first of a line of "high curent" loudspeakers, with special amps and five figure price tags, all being snapped up in spite of coming in second place in a double blind test with a PSB ALPHA.
    But what do I know? JUST SPENT THREE YEARS LEARNING
    E=I X R
    I = E OVER R
    ETC, ETC.
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  17. #17
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Angry

    Quote Originally Posted by JoeE SP9
    `Every one is forgetting that an AC motor is essentially a current driven device. A voice coil driven speaker is just an AC motor. Transformer coupled ESL's are voltage driven devices. Check some of Carvers' Sunfire literature for a amplifier manufacturers take on this.

    Once again "pix" has interjected where he has an inadaquate knowledge base. Apparantly you can't see much and hear even less.
    And no, I DONT HAVE A "KNOWLEDGE BASE".
    I HAVE KNOWLEDGE

    Attached Images Attached Images  
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  18. #18
    Phila combat zone JoeE SP9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Posts
    2,710
    You must have been an exemplary student. It took me four years to earn my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
    ARC SP9 MKIII, VPI HW19, Rega RB300
    Marcof PPA1, Shure, Sumiko, Ortofon carts, Yamaha DVD-S1800
    Behringer UCA222, Emotiva XDA-2, HiFimeDIY
    Accuphase T101, Teac V-7010, Nak ZX-7. LX-5, Behringer DSP1124P
    Front: Magnepan 1.7, DBX 223SX, 2 modified Dynaco MK3's, 2, 12" DIY TL subs (Pass El-Pipe-O) 2 bridged Crown XLS-402
    Rear/HT: Emotiva UMC200, Acoustat Model 1/SPW-1, Behringer CX2310, 2 Adcom GFA-545

  19. #19
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,462
    Quote Originally Posted by pixelthis
    In the first place, there is no voltage "gain" in most amps...
    You must be using very different sources than do I. My moving coil cartridge begins with 1 mV. Aside from the RIAA EQ, it is unable to drive any of my amplifiers on its own.

    rw

  20. #20
    Forum Regular audio amateur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    France
    Posts
    2,524
    Quote Originally Posted by E-Stat
    You must be using very different sources than do I. My moving coil cartridge begins with 1 mV. Aside from the RIAA EQ, it is unable to drive any of my amplifiers on its own.

    rw
    He is refering to the power (in this case voltage) input from the wall, not the voltage from an audio source.

  21. #21
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,462
    Quote Originally Posted by audio amateur
    He is refering to the power (in this case voltage) input from the wall, not the voltage from an audio source.
    Which completely ignores what amplifiers do to the signals sent to them. They add gain to what the sources generate. Such is a specification provided by most amplifiers. Most power amps specify their gain as a value from between 24 and 30 db. Phono level preamps like my SP-9 MKIII provide 67 db of voltage gain to the signal. Power supply voltage found at the wall is irrelevant to what the amplifier gain stages do to sources in the real world. I think he should demand a refund for the superficial understanding of electrical theory he got with his three years of *training*.
    rw
    Last edited by E-Stat; 02-01-2010 at 06:07 PM.

  22. #22
    Forum Regular audio amateur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    France
    Posts
    2,524
    Quote Originally Posted by E-Stat
    Which completely ignores what amplifiers do to the signals sent to them. They add gain to what the sources generate. Such is a specification provided by most amplifiers.
    rw
    Yes, he did ignore that.
    Quote Originally Posted by E-Stat
    Power supply voltage found at the wall is irrelevant to what the amplifier gain stages do to sources in the real world.
    I am aware of that, and that isn't what he was saying, as he was ignoring source inputs. As you say, there is a great deal of voltage gains going on, but they are not of the same scale as the voltage reduction made to the power input voltage (which I believe becomes direct current). That's my understanding of what he was getting to. As for the refund, I would rather not judge...

  23. #23
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,462
    Quote Originally Posted by audio amateur
    ...but they are not of the same scale as the voltage reduction made to the power input voltage (which I believe becomes direct current).
    There's no voltage reduction going on in my VTL amplifiers. The rails operate at 550V. Even the Threshold runs at 60V or a reduction of about 3 db from the source. Contrast that to nearly 100 db of voltage gain provided by both the preamp and power amp to the cartridge's output to drive the speakers.

    rw

  24. #24
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    tuscaloosa
    Posts
    5,528

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by E-Stat
    Which completely ignores what amplifiers do to the signals sent to them. They add gain to what the sources generate. Such is a specification provided by most amplifiers. Most power amps specify their gain as a value from between 24 and 30 db. Phono level preamps like my SP-9 MKIII provide 67 db of voltage gain to the signal. Power supply voltage found at the wall is irrelevant to what the amplifier gain stages do to sources in the real world. I think he should demand a refund for the superficial understanding of electrical theory he got with his three years of *training*.
    rw
    YOU dont know what you're talking about and you say I NEED A "REFUND"?
    What a laugh.
    Amps dont do anything to "sources" like your phono cartrige.
    THEY TAKE voltage and current, step it down and use it to drive speakers.
    The source provides control, varying the bias current and providing output.
    In no respect is a source ever "increased", it just controls the "valve", be it tube, transistor, or microchip.
    120 volts goes into every amp plugged into a wall in the US at least.
    Try plugging your speakers directly into the wall and see what you get.
    (Well, maybe your electrostats need a power supply).
    But the main job of an amp is turning wall current and voltage into usable current
    to be controled by a source, to put it simply.
    In no instance is the source "increased".
    At least that was the case with the three stage amp I built in high school.
    Dont know where you got your information.
    But in every amp I have seen, class a, ab, etc, they just use the input signal to
    modulate the output current to drive a loudspeaker(or phones).
    Thats a simplfied way of putting it, but more accurate than what you're saying.
    Not bad considering I put my soldering gun away several decades ago.
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
    sub asw2500
    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
    pronto remote, technics antique direct drive TT
    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  25. #25
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    5,462
    Quote Originally Posted by pixelthis
    At least that was the case with the three stage amp I built in high school.
    That settles it!

    rw

Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •