Acoustic suspension sound in 2015?

[AAinPB]

Hi...does anyone have any thoughts on new speakers that have that acoustic suspension sound--very smooth with tight bass (not boomy or overwhelming).

Another favorite is my 15 year old PSB Stratus Silver i's.

They're great, but I need something for a larger room.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[KEW]

Somewhat related:
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/acoustic-suspension-speakers-made-today.94390/

 

[KEW]

Hi...does anyone have any thoughts on new speakers that have that acoustic suspension sound--very smooth with tight bass (not boomy or overwhelming).

I think in the past there was a distinct difference (and agree with you on the tight smooth sound of the old acoustic suspension speakers). However, I believe the design of ported speakers is now such that a properly selected driver in a ported enclosure can be every bit as tight as an acoustic suspension speaker.
I compared a Behringer Truth B2031P monitor (ported) with an Advent Heritage (acoustic suspension) and found that while the Advent had a wonderfully rich bass sound for something like Eagles Hotel Caliofornia, The Behringers out-classed the Advents when it came to truly tight music like Steely Dan! I suspect cabinet resonance is the source of the difference!
I am not passing judgement on which speaker is better so much as saying, I believe most people would choose the Advents if Eagles was the demo music and the Behringers if Steely Dan was the demo music.

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-B2031P-Ultra-Linear-Reference-Monitor/dp/B000LQ2ABK/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1451443545&sr=1-2&keywords=B2031
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/advent-heritage-specifications.105326/

 

[fmw]

If you think sealed speakers sound better then just get a sealed subwoofer and replace the frequencies handled by the woofer in your speakers with it. I'm not saying sealed subwoofers sound better by definition. I'm just explaining another approach to satisfying your preference.

 

[TLS Guy]

If you think sealed speakers sound better then just get a sealed subwoofer and replace the frequencies handled by the woofer in your speakers with it. I'm not saying sealed subwoofers sound better by definition. I'm just explaining another approach to satisfying your preference.

Again, we need to remind people of what Dennis Murphy pointed out, sealed enclosures and acoustic suspension are not the same thing.

An acoustic suspension system uses a high Qts driver, with a very floppy suspension where the bulk of the restoring force comes from the air in the enclosure.

High Qts drivers have fallen out of favor and well they should. It is just that years ago, there were a lot of misaligned speakers from the Far East and the US. The acoustic suspension speakers sounded tighter, but not as good as speakers using much lower Qts drovers, either ported or sealed.

Using a high Qts drover does gets you a lower Fs in sealed enclosure. However I have a heavy bias against high Qts drivers. Another good reason not to like them is suspension sag, gap rub and unreliability.

 

[fmw]

Again, we need to remind people of what Dennis Murphy pointed out, sealed enclosures and acoustic suspension are not the same thing.

An acoustic suspension system uses a high Qts driver, with a very floppy suspension where the bulk of the restoring force comes from the air in the enclosure.

High Qts drivers have fallen out of favor and well they should. It is just that years ago, there were a lot of misaligned speakers from the Far East and the US. The acoustic suspension speakers sounded tighter, but not as good as speakers using much lower Qts drovers, either ported or sealed.

Using a high Qts drover does gets you a lower Fs in sealed enclosure. However I have a heavy bias against high Qts drivers. Another good reason not to like them is suspension sag, gap rub and unreliability.

It is pretty hard to imagine a floppier suspension than found on subwoofer drivers. I would view this as an issue of terminology. To me they are the same thing.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

It is pretty hard to imagine a floppier suspension than found on subwoofer drivers. I would view this as an issue of terminology. To me they are the same thing.

I think you need to imagine harder.

 

[TLS Guy]

Drivers for acoustic suspension generally have a Qts of 0.6 and higher. In my view not nice. Most sub drivers are now well below that. There are some high Qts sub drivers around though. When I spot them, I move on.

 

[TLS Guy]

It is pretty hard to imagine a floppier suspension than found on subwoofer drivers. I would view this as an issue of terminology. To me they are the same thing.

To a speaker designer they are far from the same thing.

 

[fmw]

To a speaker designer they are far from the same thing.

And to me they are the same thing. Sorry, I disagree with him.

 

[fmw]

I think you need to imagine harder.

I'll work on it.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

And to me they are the same thing. Sorry, I disagree with him.

I think you're confusing compliance with travel. Many subwoofer drivers have very long strokes--1" or more--and they will move in a great deal when you push on them. But if you compare one of those drivers (and I'm looking at 3 of them now) out of the cabinet--in free air--and push on it and then on a classic AR3a woofer, I think you'll feel the difference.

 

[TLS Guy]

And to me they are the same thing. Sorry, I disagree with him.

Once you have designed a few speakers you are allowed to disagree. The fact is both designs are sealed, but most sealed designs are not acoustic suspension.

 

[Seth=L]

I think you need to imagine harder.

Tough crowd.

 

[fmw]

Once you have designed a few speakers you are allowed to disagree. The fact is both designs are sealed, but most sealed designs are not acoustic suspension.

I have designed speakers and I think it is utterly silly to argue about terminology. Next time I want to disagree with someone I'll send an email asking permission. It won't be here, though, because I've had my fill of this.

 

[fmw]

I think you're confusing compliance with travel. Many subwoofer drivers have very long strokes--1" or more--and they will move in a great deal when you push on them. But if you compare one of those drivers (and I'm looking at 3 of them now) out of the cabinet--in free air--and push on it and then on a classic AR3a woofer, I think you'll feel the difference.

Fine, your terminology trumps mine. Best of luck to you. I'm gone.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Fine, your terminology trumps mine. Best of luck to you. I'm gone.

What was all that about? I guess it's time to move on.

 

[its phillip]

What was all that about? I guess it's time to move on.

Seems like he's quitting these forums.

 

[KEW]

We are, after all, a bunch of nit-picking SOB's!
I know my nits get picked here on a regular basis - that is okay - I learn a lot. The cumulative audio knowledge on this forum is tremendous and it keeps me honest and (somewhat) humble!
But, the bottom line is, if we are going to successfully communicate about audio gear in a substantive manner, we have to be, as a matter of course, nit-picking SOB's!

I hope he comes back. From the threads I have seen him in, he is a sharp guy with good experience. But forums do require callouses.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Tough crowd.

And we're immensely proud of it.