Anybody hear or see a pair, in person?

[Rickster71]

JVC Develops 'Pulsating Sphere' Speaker


Tokyo, Japan, Sept 14, 2006 - (JCN Newswire) - JVC announces the development of a 'Pulsating Sphere' Speaker with properties very close to the ideal sound source, and application for 17 related patents. Since JVC launched its first sphere speaker 'GB-17' in 1967, it has worked toward such an ideal sound source for a natural, near-perfect sound field.

This technology uses the entire surface of the Pulsating Sphere speaker as an emitter. With its 12-sided dodecahedral design, it has the ideal structure to create this size of multi-sided polyhedron sphere. For this reason, the compact ball-shaped speaker has the same frequency characteristics in every direction, faithfully reproducing the original sound source and sound field, so much so that the listener is barely aware of the speaker.

JVC will exhibit this technology at the JVC booth at the A&V Festa 2006, being held at Pacifico Yokohama from Thursday to Sunday, September 21-24.


Main Features

1. Natural, ideal sound-field reproduction from 12-sided ball-shaped compact speaker
With a diameter of 10 cm, about 4", the speaker is divided into twelve 5-sided sections. Excluding the bottom, each are driven dynamically by 11 drivers, realizing high-power for the speaker's compact size. Sound coverage is uniform in every direction in range up to 10 kHz, varying by less than +/-1 dB. This results in an unprecedented natural sound field.

2. Linked diaphragms permit entire speaker surface to act as emitter
The JVC developed linked diaphragm construction utilizes the entire surface of the speaker as an emitter, with eleven 5-sided segments linked only at their edges. This eliminates effects from a frame or cabinet, and results in a clear sound without distortion.

3. Wide, flat frequency range thanks to Weibull-curve diaphragm
The diaphragms have a 'Weibull curve' shape optimized using computer analysis. Plastic reinforced with stiffening fibers, flat frequency characteristics and low distortion result in a clear presence without hotspots. This also results in a wide frequency range.

4. Double neodymium magnets give high magnetic-flux density of one Tesla
With two high energy density neodymium magnets, the equal-diameter speakers produce a high magnetic-flux density of one tesla. Thus, thanks to the magnetically held and driven linked-together diaphragms, the speakers reproduce clear sound across a wide range.

5. Orthogonal double-suspension construction stably supports edge-linked diaphragms
The new two layer right-angled orthogonal suspension has good hardness but avoids fixed resonances, leading to highly accurate drives. Using this technology, JVC succeeded in driving the linked diaphragm precisely, as if it were breathing.


Development Background

JVC set out to create speakers that would act as near ideal sound-sources, producing sound fields with an unprecedented degree of naturalness. In January 2001, the company developed its 'DD' series of long, thin speakers, offering wide directional coverage and sharp sound imaging. These were released both as stand-alone units and included in home-theater systems, and received enthusiastically by JVC product users.

JVC then tackled the challenge of omni-directional speakers that could even cover the vertical axis with no directional bias. The result is the new 'pulsating sphere' speaker, a 12-sided ball that, while compact, produces an ideal wave surface and ideal frequency characteristics over a wide range for a natural sound field. Because this technology reproduces the same frequency characteristics in every direction, the speaker 'disappears' acoustically, for faithful playback of the original sound source and sound field.


Technology Analysis

The 'Pulsating Sphere' is synonymous with an ideal sound source, a goal for sound engineers for over sixty years. Some reasons why the pulsating sphere is an ideal sound source include:

1. Uniform wave front projection in every direction,
2. No irregularity in acoustic impedance,
3. No diffraction from a cabinet,
4. No near-range sound-field problems caused by flat sound sources.

Because of these qualities, the speakers lack any of the sonic quirks of typical speakers, making it possible to design the signal paths in such a way that listeners feel as if speakers do not exist.

JVC designed the pulsating sphere speakers with a diameter of 10 cm for 'near-ideal
performance'. Together they exhibit less than +/-1 dB directional variation up to 10 kHz.

Each diaphragm is linked only to a dynamically driven voice coil, with an internally mounted driver circuit, resulting in sound waves with uniform amplitude and phase in every direction.

Each five-sided diaphragm is connected so the entire surface functions as an emitter. This construction results in clearer, undistorted sound because it renders unnecessary conventional cabinets and frames that could cause reflection and diffusion.

JVC used computer simulation to optimize the speaker's design, resulting in diaphragms with uniquely flat frequency characteristics that remain stable up into high frequency range. Along with many other innovations in the areas of axial motion and input range, this led JVC to apply for 17 pulsating sphere technology-related patents.

For photos and diagrams,
please visit http://www.jvc-victor.co.jp/english/press/2006/pulsating_sphere.pdf

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

"Roll speakers for initiative!"

 

[mtrycrafts]

JVC Develops 'Pulsating Sphere' Speaker
]

Interesting indeed. Been out for a while and haven't seen anything about this.
I'd like to see a frequency measurement in an anechoic chamber at Harman or NRC Canada.

 

[emorphien]

No frequencies about 10 Khz?

 

[JoeE SP9]

They remind me of the Design Acoustics D12. Of course they were much larger. They were full range speakers. I've never heard a pair but always wanted to.

 

[mtrycrafts]

No frequencies about 10 Khz?

I am sure it has it, just not that great of a response, I am sure. At those frequencies, it gets very directional in a hurry.

 

[GreenJelly]

Nothing good has come out of JVC speakers. So I wouldnt even bother, but no, I havent seen anything like that... Though I do to their interesting design, expect them at best buy and circuit city, and people selling them because they look so cool.

Non-Directional Sound... Hmmm, hang from the ceiling, and attach some glass squares to it, and you got a disco ball.

Mike

 

[audiorookie]

Those things are ugly....Just get Mirage speakers lol.

 

[GreenJelly]

Non-directonal sound is a bad idea... Where do you put them, and how do you have any chance at preventing reverb...

This is why I dont even look at JVC in a store... none the less actually spend time listening to them.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Non-directonal sound is a bad idea...

I am missing something. You want directional speakers? No off axis response? Instruments have off axis responses.
Why would you have reverberation? That has something to do with the acoustic space.

http://miragespeakers.com/nrc_story.shtml

Based on the results of the NRC’s research, Mirage engineers determined that there were three characteristics common to the speakers that consistently achieved high scores in the listening trials. It was determined that listeners preferred speakers that could produce the whole range of frequencies (Wide Bandwidth), equally efficiently (Flat Response), both on and off axis (Wide Dispersion), clearly (No Distortion).


I think good off axis response is a must. These speakers may deliver that.

 

[GreenJelly]

I have heard of speaker makers putting speakers in the back... this is not uncommon. However, we dont care if its non-directional or not, as you stated. What is needed is a wide area of listening (which I suppose you mean off axis). This allows us to sit outside the perfect listening position and still enjoy the music. Yet these speakers dont do that. These speakers push it everywhere, which is a waste cause we dont need music going everywhere. We need music to come to us... And what we DONT need is music and sound bouncing off walls and then coming back to us. This is why my statement about reverb (which may be the wrong term)... Imagine sitting in a HUGE room, of a castle (made out of rock). You Scream on the top of your lungs, and a moment later you hear your own voice. Now try to listen to music in that room. A single cord is played by the recording. Now your hearing 2 or more of that cord. Now add the complete complexity of music and you get completely distorted reproduction that repeats ontop of itself.

We try and avoid this as audiophiles. We build rooms with materials that dampen and not reflect sound. When we cant do this, we try to provide uneven, structures on our walls (like bookshelfs are perfect). These provide places for the sound to be stuck, and not bounce back. We then wont hear the delayed echo. In most rooms this is minimum, but a slight echo is all you need to ruin your music.

My problem with bi-directional sound (speakers on the back, or speakers as shaped above) is that it FORCES the music to bounce off the back wall behind your speakers. Usually this isnt a problem because our speakers are so close to the wall, however, we will notice a a problem even in our situations if they had tweeters and highend music on the back (which no intelligent company would do).

Each material used in the construction of the listening room has different sound absorption properties. DEEP BASE goes through most things (though it to will reverb, and we hope it does).... Thats why you hear the base when your in another room while your music is playing but you cant hear the voices.

Now as you go up the spectrum of sound, you start to experiance sound absorption from the material, then as you hit trebles, sound reverberations (or is it the other way around?).

The hard thick surfaces, like the bricks in your basement, will reflect almost all sound.

So my problem with speakers in the back of speakers, is that it provides a situation that is dependent on the environment and construction providing a uncontrolled variable.

Luckily, most manufacturers understand this... they also understand that the wavelength of BASE is huge, and needs time to develop. In small spaces this is hard, so they place woofers and subwoofers on the back (or in paradigms case) on the sides. Subwoofers, like the B&W series have a Subwoofer placed in the front of the speaker, however the sound is designed to come out of the bottom of the speaker. Thus you get a bit more space, by bouncing it off the floor, or in Paradigm's case, you get it to go off the side walls. This allows people with small listening areas (like 99% of the world) to experiance stronger low range sounds that defy the location you are in, and sound more like if you were outside in a field with no walls.

The speakers shown, apears to have tweaters all the way around. This is NOT a good idea. Ontop of it, we are spending out money on 12 sets of speakers, and not 1 set of good speakers.

Edit, the above statement is not perfect. Reverb on BASS as stated, can provide aditional room for the BASS to develop. It would be perfect if we could have our subwoofers 20+ feet away from us... However we usually cant pull this off.

 

[JoeE SP9]

What you are saying GreenJelly is refuted quite well by every Apogee, Magnaplanar, ML or any ESL or bipolar or omni directional loudspeaker ever manufactured. Admittedly panels are di-polars (ie: the rear wave is out of phase with the front) but speakers such as Ohm F or any Ohm product that uses the full range Walsh driver are omni-directionals that sound very good. Furthermore MBL produces the Radialstrahler which is designed from scratch to be omni directional.
Omnidirectional speakers will give the best results for flat response on and off axis. Nothing else even comes close. mtrycrafts has cited the correct data and is correct here.
The best sounding systems I've ever heard have been di or bi-polar systems such as Apogee Grands, ML Statements, Infinity IRS's and Sound labs ESL's. The MBL Radialstrahler's and the original Ohm F's sound very good also.

 

[GreenJelly]

Well honestly... in this case... Im really giving my best guess and opinion... I must admit that I may be a bit full of **** on this issue... though I still dont beleive that anything good can come out of so many pairs of speakers, on one "Speaker"... Unless you plan on spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Now I would take JoeE's advice over mine on this issue. If I am not right, I will admit it... I do my best, and if I give bad advice I will appoligize and I will correct it... so I am sorry.

In addition, the old Bi-polar back channels have fallin out of favor because no one uses pro-logic... or thats what I have been told. The Bi-Polar's dont sound as good on true 5.1 surround sound...

So if thats true, then I got a bit of a point.

 

[rsachs]

Dodecahedral speakers have been around for many years.
See, http://www.gizmag.com/go/3894/

JVC's advance (?) seems to be the particular drivers themselves and perhaps hte x-over.

Overall, yawn.

 

[stratman]

JVC: Just Vile Concepts, they give me the creeps.

 

[GreenJelly]

I wonder why the best speakers in the world do not employ such ideas...

Im talking about the $150,000 beasts that few people make, and few own.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I wonder why the best speakers in the world do not employ such ideas...

Im talking about the $150,000 beasts that few people make, and few own.

Because audiophiles would not trust their ears and be biased by their eyes. Just look at the response here. It seems looks matter more than possibly a great sound.

 

[no. 5]

What you are saying GreenJelly is refuted quite well by every Apogee, Magnaplanar, ML or any ESL or bipolar or omni directional loudspeaker ever manufactured.

and every stringed insterment every made; nobody has ever said that a harp shuld be a monopole.

 

[f0am]

Ive seen a pair in person, she was a beaut!
Oh speakers sorry.

 

[GreenJelly]

I cant beleive that people buy these speakers for their looks. They are super ugly, weight so much that people have to customize their houses to support them, and are extremely expensive. They also require to be put in positions of the room, that are not exactly friendly to ones room structure, and are not made for home theater.