Baffle Diffraction

[mosfet]

Something I tried recently and I think is worth sharing.

Baffle diffraction effects are well known and the reason many loudspeaker designs employ curved cabinet edges.

Essentially baffle diffraction occurs as a result of reflected soundwaves from the edges of a loudspeaker enclosure. This can cause comb-filtering effects, subjectively heard as “smearing”, although there is still some debate on the issue.

http://stereophile.com/reference/704cutting/index.html

One method to reduce baffle diffraction effects at high frequencies is to use felt around the tweeter. This approach was used on the BBC LS3/5A below and more latterly Dunlavy loudspeakers.





I’ve tried this on a pair of Tannoy Reveal studio monitors I have using Neoprene strip rather than felt. The result, subjectively at least, is an immediate and obvious improvement in clarity and high frequency smoothness.

Neoprene Strip Code: 406-670 http://www.studiospares.com

[chezi61]

Hiya Mosfet , interesting , is this the same sort of thing?

http://www.russandrews.com/product.a...BLFSNHXZTSNURX

chezi.

[mosfet]

Yep chezi, the same idea.

As are these http://www.audio-ideas.com/tweaks.html

Similar quarter felt rings are also supplied with Aliante Spazio loudspeakers.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/spazioe.html

[Kiang]

Have tried them - they do work. Not huge but there.

Mosfet - check mail

[mosfet]

Nothing received in my email Kiang? The email account I have in my profile here is working.

[earl of sodbury]

Been wondering about this since noticing a few loudspeaker manufacturers (including Neat) use this. A cheap-enough tweak to be worth a bash, too...

churz, eofs

[mosfet]

More tweeter fuzzy felt (well foam) from M&K

[Biscuit]

The tweeter on the stiletto's is recessed in a little horn shaped thing(?) so do you think this tweak would work?

Doubt I'd want to spoil the finish with sticky foam anyway though.

[Umberto]

Biscuit wrote:

The tweeter on the stiletto's is recessed in a little horn shaped thing(?) so do you think this tweak would work?

Doubt I'd want to spoil the finish with sticky foam anyway though.

The Art tweeter was designed to be horn loaded. Don't think it would respond well with bits of foam round it.

[Logan]

The Russ Andrews"focus rings" do work well on my speakers. They smooth off any residual rough treble and help to improve the focus of individual performers on the soundstage. Strangely, this applies throughout the frequency range although only the tweeters are protected.

My previous speakers were B&W CDM1, which have a sharp cabinet boundary just below the top-mounted tweeter pod. I stuck thin felt around this and over the boundary, and again heard a distinct improvement in the (often overwhelming) treble response.

[Miller-8]

If your speakers tweater panelsare held in place by screws I have found that covering each screw with a blob of blu-tac cleans up the treble. It was something I read about 5 years ago on audio asylum and it does seem to work.

[Umberto]

Tweeter on the Art stilettos has no screws visible on the outside so can't try this out so i'll take your word for it.