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Industry News and Developments Test Bench VOLUME 24, ISSUE 2 DECEMBER 2010 ® IN THIS ISSUE 1 INDUSTRY NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS 35 2010 Voice CoilCoiCooill ArticleArArtt lee IndexI Indenddeexx 46 Products & Services Indexx 11 TEST BENCH Home and Pro Drivers from Wavecor and 18Sound By Vance Dickason 23 SPOTLIGHT Audio Testing With Noise By Ron Tipton 39 ACOUSTIC PATENTS By James Croft 41 INDUSTRY WATCH Who will win? See p. 6. By Vance Dickason Measuring with vintage electronic gear, p. 23. Industry News and Developments By Vance Dickason CES 2011 The 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (Photo 1) will take place from January 6-9, in Las Vegas. This year’s International CES will feature the product debuts from more than 2000 exhibitors, covering more than 30 product areas, including the latest in content, wireless, digital imaging, mobile electronics, home theater and audio, and a focus on electric vehicles and in-vehicle technology. With a focus on green vehicle technology, it’s interesting to note that the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced that the 2009 International PHOTO 1: Last year’s International CES. CES was named North America’s Greenest Show by Trade Show Executive Magazine. CEA was awarded the highly cov- sustainable energy, renew resources, and contribute to the eted “Leader in Green Initiatives” Gold Grand Award for global development. This exhibit area will feature products outstanding green presence in producing the world’s largest and services that make it possible for everyone to stay con- consumer technology trade show, the International CES. nected, informed, and live sustainable lifestyles. The Electric Building upon its green initiatives, the 2011 CES will Vehicle TechZone will also highlight the latest technology again feature the Sustainable Planet TechZone, sponsored behind electric vehicles for consumers seeking to live more by Earth 911, which will showcase world-changing tech- sustainably through alternative transportation. nologies that benefit the environment, utilize new forms of Also featured will be more than 175 conference sessions designed to help educate attendees on the latest consumer Acoustik, Prism Technology, Proac USA, PSB Speakers, electronic trends. This year’s show is expected to be some- Pyle Audio, Quad, Raidho Acoustics, Revolver Audio, what larger than last year’s (2700 exhibitors in 2009 and Russound, Shanghai Silver Flute, Sonavox, Sony, Swans 2500 for 2010), with about 120,000 persons expected to Speaker System, Symposium Acoustics, Thiel Audio, THX attend (2010 was 120,000, 2009’s about 110,000, and Ltd., Tivoli Audio, Totem Acoustics, Triad Speakers, Usher 141,150 in 2008). CES will now be centralized at the Audio, Vandersteen Audio, Vienna Acoustics, Waterfall Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and the Las Vegas Audio, WBT USA, Westlake Audio, Wharfedale, Wisdom Hilton, with the Sands Convention Center no longer being Audio, YG Acoustics, Zealth Audio Loudspeakers, and part of the 2011 show. The Venetian will still provide dis- Zylux Acoustic Corporation. Going through this list, you play space for high-performance audio. can readily see that many of the “usual suspects” will again Keynote speakers at this year’s show will include Steve be absent this year. For more on this year’s CES, visit www. Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, Gary Shapiro, CEO of the cesweb.com. Consumer Electronics Association, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, Rupert Stadler (AUDI AG Chairman of SoundCheck 9.1 and CLEAR the Board of Management), Boo-Keun Yoon (Samsung SoundCheck 9.1 is the latest version of Listen Inc.’s analyz- President and General Manager of Visual Display Business), er. The most interesting addition, however, is the new CLEAR Alan Mulally (Ford Motor Company President and CEO), perceptual distortion algorithm for rub and buzz measure- Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman, and Zhou Houjian, ments. CLEAR stands for Cepstral Loudness Enhanced Hisense Chairman. Algorithm. This new algorithm uses a simplified auditory per- A partial list of loudspeaker manufacturers and other ceptual model to measure the perceived loudness of the Rub relevant exhibitors includes Aamp of America, Acousticom, & Buzz distortion in phons rather than the more traditional Acoustic Innovation Limited, Acoustic Technologies, dB SPL and % distortion units. This model better identifies Alpine Electronics, Altec Lansing, American Sound whether distortion due to manufacturing defects can be heard Works, Anthony Gallo Acoustics, Arcam, Audio Physic, by the listener than conventional measurements. In addition Audiopipe, Audiovox, Avalon Acoustics, B&W, Cadence to a result which corresponds more accurately to the human Acoustics Ltd., Cambridge Audio, CDT Audio, Cerwin ear, this new test method also offers significant advantages for Vega mobile, Clarion, DeVore Fidelity Ltd., Dynaudio, use on the production line. It is less sensitive to transient back- Earthquake Sound, Eggleston Works, Ethereal Home ground noises than traditional methods, therefore is reliable in Theater, Focal-JMLab, Focus Audio, Forgings Industries, noisy environments. In addition, it is easier to set up. Because Frank Audio Co., Genesis Advanced Technologies, Gibson it analyzes all harmonics, the user does not need to select the Guitar Corp., GoldenEar Technology, Goldwood Sound, harmonics to be analyzed, and limit setting is simpler because Hansen Audio, IASCA, JL Audio, Joseph Audio, KEF a flat line can be used regardless of frequency and level (rather America, Kenwood USA, Kicker, Kiso Acoustic, Klipsch than measurement relative to a reference standard as is neces- Group, Lawrence Audio, Legacy Audio, Logitech, LoudSoft, sary with conventional distortion measurements). Full details Meiloon Industrial, Meridian American, Magico LLC, of the research leading to the development of this algorithm MBL America, Memphis Car Audio, Meridian America, are given in the paper “Practical Measurement of Loudspeaker Merlon Audio, Mitek, Mission, Monster, Mordaunt-Short, Distortion Using a Simplified Auditory Perceptual Model” Monitor Audio, Morel, Naim Audio, New Transducers Ltd. presented at the 127th AES in October 2009 (available on the (NXT), Nola Speakers, NTTAudiolab, Onkyo USA, Opera Listen website). Loudspeakers, Orca Electronics/Focal America, Paradigm Figure 1 compares a more traditional Rub & Buzz Electronics, Parasound, Peerless Fabrikkerne (India) Ltd., methodology to Listen Inc.’s new CLEAR algorithm. Plastoform Industries, Polk Audio, PowerBass USA, Power Perceptual Rub & Buzz using the CLEAR algorithm shows Publisher - Edward T. Dell, Jr. ADVERTISING at www.audioXpress.com and complete a Editor - Vance Dickason Please direct display advertising inquiries to: qualification form. When you qualify, you will (E-mail [email protected]) Peter Wostrel, Account Manager, Strategic receive an email confirming your subscription. Contributing Editor - Richard Honeycutt Media Marketing, USA, 978-281-7708, Each month you will receive an email with a Vice President FAX 603-924-9467, Toll-free 800-454- link to the current issue. ISSN 1521-091X 3741, e-mail [email protected]. Voice Coil, ( ), Karen Hebert Printed subscriptions are currently available the Periodical of the Loudspeaker Dennis Brisson .............Assistant Publisher Please direct classified and artwork inquiries to: to US and Canadian individuals who have Industry, is published on the 25th Richard Surrette ...........Editorial Assistant Janet Hensel, Advertising Coordinator, Voice completed a qualification form and fit the of each month by Audio Amateur Laurel Humphrey.........Marketing Director Coil, PO Box 876, Peterborough, NH 03458, criteria for qualification. For those overseas, the Incorporated, PO Box 876, Jason Hanaford ............Graphics Director USA, 603-924-7292, FAX 603-924-6230, cost of a printed subscription is $150.00 per year. Peterborough, NH 03458-0876 USA, Sharon LeClair .............Customer Service e-mail [email protected]. Please contact customer service or order your Mike Biron ..................Shipping Manager subscription on-line at www.audioXpress.com. (603) 924-9464, Qualified subscriptions to Voice Coil run SUBMISSIONS FAX (603) 924-9467. for 1 year. Renew annually on-line at www. Send all press releases and information to audioXpress.com/magsdirx/voxcoil/vcqual.htm Copyright 2010 by Audio Amateur Voice Coil Editorial Dept., PO Box 876, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Quotation Peterborough, NH 03458, or FAX us Subscriptions to Voice Coil are available in from Voice Coil is forbidden without written material at (603) 924-9467, e-mail printed and digital versions. To subscribe to permission of the publisher. [email protected]. the digital version, please visit our website 4 VOICE COIL January 3 to 5, 2011. The Driver Award features three levels—Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Gold Driver Award will be reserved for Board Emeritus, ALMA members or others who have made significant, continued, and sustained contributions to the industry over the FIGURE 1: Comparison of standard Rub & Buzz response with lifetime of their career; the Listen Inc.’s new CLEAR algorithm. Silver award will be given audible distortion more clearly. According to Listen Inc., to a member or institution traditional Rub & Buzz measurements do not take into who deserves recognition account the insensitivity of the human ear to low and high for a singular and more frequencies, therefore making it more difficult to identify current accomplishment, problem areas and set limits on a production line. This either within
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