Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, 8th Edition Vol.1 Review

[shadyJ]

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As a loudspeaker reviewer, it’s not always easy to evaluate loudspeaker designs that fall under my analysis. But after reading the recently released 8th edition of Vance Dickason’s Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, I can say that criticizing loudspeaker designs is a lot easier than actually engaging in the design work. While it’s an obvious remark to say that it is easier to criticize than it is to create, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook drives that point home with a hammer. Loudspeaker design is rather complex stuff, especially for those who are trying to get every detail right. However, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook provides paths for good engineering practices from amateurs to seasoned pros to help their design work at every level. Read our take on the latest edition of the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook!

READ: Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, 8th Edition Vol.1 Review

 

[Bobby Bass]

View attachment 67309​

As a loudspeaker reviewer, it’s not always easy to evaluate loudspeaker designs that fall under my analysis. But after reading the recently released 8th edition of Vance Dickason’s Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, I can say that criticizing loudspeaker designs is a lot easier than actually engaging in the design work. While it’s an obvious remark to say that it is easier to criticize than it is to create, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook drives that point home with a hammer. Loudspeaker design is rather complex stuff, especially for those who are trying to get every detail right. However, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook provides paths for good engineering practices from amateurs to seasoned pros to help their design work at every level. Read our take on the latest edition of the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook!

READ: Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, 8th Edition Vol.1 Review

James thanks for the article and links. I‘ll read it but my first and only try at building my own speakers back in high school confirmed that I’m a reader and not a cabinet builder. Appreciate the pictures and skill involved with the builds I’ve seen posted.

 

[HuenEye]

Forget all the BS about how hard it is to design a great sounding speaker!!!!!!!!!! I built a sub $2K pair of speakers of my own design that competed head-to-head against Wilson's $750K speakers. The folks at LMC were shocked!!!! Designing a speaker is all about common sense, research research and more research and using the KISS method. IMO and the opinion of those who heard my audio system it was the best sounding system they have ever heard. It's called synergy. Yes, I have the 'cookbook' 7th edition, as well as books by many other authors as well as books about acoustics, microphones, and the psychology of sound.

I'll post some photos and details of my super planar speaker at a later date.

I learned from those books as knowledge is important!! However, I ignored many other ideas and went on my own path.

Here are a few pics I took way back when and why I love music so much

 

[ryanosaur]

View attachment 67309​

As a loudspeaker reviewer, it’s not always easy to evaluate loudspeaker designs that fall under my analysis. But after reading the recently released 8th edition of Vance Dickason’s Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, I can say that criticizing loudspeaker designs is a lot easier than actually engaging in the design work. While it’s an obvious remark to say that it is easier to criticize than it is to create, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook drives that point home with a hammer. Loudspeaker design is rather complex stuff, especially for those who are trying to get every detail right. However, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook provides paths for good engineering practices from amateurs to seasoned pros to help their design work at every level. Read our take on the latest edition of the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook!

READ: Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, 8th Edition Vol.1 Review

wow! Supercool to know there is a new edition of this.

Dickason is a bit of a dense read, but he and Alden have the two best guides for designing Speakers. Invaluable resources for anybody interested in learning about the deeper aspects of the black art of Speakers!!!

 

[Verdinut]

wow! Supercool to know there is a new edition of this.

Dickason is a bit of a dense read, but he and Alden have the two best guides for designing Speakers. Invaluable resources for anybody interested in learning about the deeper aspects of the black art of Speakers!!!

David Weems wrote a good book too.

 

[ryanosaur]

David Weems wrote a good book too.

Indeed.
I always felt that the Weems and Murphy books were both more introductory. Without having read theirs, I wouldn’t have understood Alden, and without Alden I wouldn’t have understood Dickason.

 

[TLS Guy]

View attachment 67309​

As a loudspeaker reviewer, it’s not always easy to evaluate loudspeaker designs that fall under my analysis. But after reading the recently released 8th edition of Vance Dickason’s Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, I can say that criticizing loudspeaker designs is a lot easier than actually engaging in the design work. While it’s an obvious remark to say that it is easier to criticize than it is to create, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook drives that point home with a hammer. Loudspeaker design is rather complex stuff, especially for those who are trying to get every detail right. However, the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook provides paths for good engineering practices from amateurs to seasoned pros to help their design work at every level. Read our take on the latest edition of the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook!

READ: Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, 8th Edition Vol.1 Review

I do think it a pity that more are not experimenting with DIY speaker builds. In the history of audio DIY builders have historically led he advances. Back in the fifties Gilbert Briggs and Raymond Cooke were exhorting enthusiasts to be speaker builders and many, many were.

This continued in the Heyday of Speaker Builder magazine. In those days DIYers were at the very forefront of speaker development and progress.

Back in 1977 there were really no commercial speakers with active bass sections, but mine had. I have, along with other DIYers worked to be on the cutting edge of progress and development. I would say that until fairly recent times it was not that difficult to best anything available at a dealer. Now the competition is much stiffer. But the DIYer can compete and compare with the very best of speakers available and possible best them.

One big advantage is that the DIYer can build for his specific purposes just like the custom pipe organ builder. Talking of which, having spent useful time with organ builders, the path of the speaker builder and organ builder are remarkably parallel.

So, I really would encourage members here to take up speaker building rather than spending hours trying to determine whether speaker x is better than y or z.

 

[shadyJ]

I do think it a pity that more are not experimenting with DIY speaker builds. In the history of audio DIY builders have historically led he advances. Back in the fifties Gilbert Briggs and Raymond Cooke were exhorting enthusiasts to be speaker builders and many, many were.

This continued in the Heyday of Speaker Builder magazine. In those days DIYers were at the very forefront of speaker development and progress.

Back in 1977 there were really no commercial speakers with active bass sections, but mine had. I have, along with other DIYers worked to be on the cutting edge of progress and development. I would say that until fairly recent times it was not that difficult to best anything available at a dealer. Now the competition is much stiffer. But the DIYer can compete and compare with the very best of speakers available and possible best them.

One big advantage is that the DIYer can build for his specific purposes just like the custom pipe organ builder. Talking of which, having spent useful time with organ builders, the path of the speaker builder and organ builder are remarkably parallel.

So, I really would encourage members here to take up speaker building rather than spending hours trying to determine whether speaker x is better than y or z.

I would say that back in the day, DIY had more of a case since loudspeaker science wasn't as well understood by anyone, and if you wanted a good one, it was easier to build something comparable to what was considered high-end. In other words, it wasn't just a hobby, it was just a way to acquire a great loudspeaker. Nowadays, DIY loudspeakers seems to be more of a hobby unto itself since commercial loudspeakers have come so far. If you are dedicated, sure, you can make something that compares to current high-end loudspeakers, but that takes a huge amount of time, resources, and effort for a solitary individual. Modern loudspeaker manufacturers have measurement gear, modeling software, and prototyping equipment that are well out of reach of the common person. That isn't even talking about the experience of veteran engineers who have decades of loudspeaker design.

That being said, going DIY still has its strengths, but they are definitely more specific than they used to be. I think that as a hobby, the design stage may only worth it for people who just want to understand the science better. Otherwise, DIYers should just go with pre-existing designs.

 

[TLS Guy]

I would say that back in the day, DIY had more of a case since loudspeaker science wasn't as well understood by anyone, and if you wanted a good one, it was easier to build something comparable to what was considered high-end. In other words, it wasn't just a hobby, it was just a way to acquire a great loudspeaker. Nowadays, DIY loudspeakers seems to be more of a hobby unto itself since commercial loudspeakers have come so far. If you are dedicated, sure, you can make something that compares to current high-end loudspeakers, but that takes a huge amount of time, resources, and effort for a solitary individual. Modern loudspeaker manufacturers have measurement gear, modeling software, and prototyping equipment that are well out of reach of the common person. That isn't even talking about the experience of veteran engineers who have decades of loudspeaker design.

That being said, going DIY still has its strengths, but they are definitely more specific than they used to be. I think that as a hobby, the design stage may only worth it for people who just want to understand the science better. Otherwise, DIYers should just go with pre-existing designs.

I agree with that, except the last part. There is no rule against DIYers being innovators. I think that is something, that if so inclined they should pursue.
I personally have never found copying others designs to be terribly rewarding. That was for my childhood days, and they were very instructive.
However, it convinced me of the need to do better.

Time you paid a visit here Shady!

 

[paulgyro]

This is indeed a great book, one I'm about halfway through. Much to learn from it with much detail.

 

[HuenEye]

I agree with that, except the last part. There is no rule against DIYers being innovators. I think that is something, that if so inclined they should pursue.
I personally have never found copying others designs to be terribly rewarding. That was for my childhood days, and they were very instructive.
However, it convinced me of the need to do better.

Time you paid a visit here Shady!

I agree with DIY guys like me being innovative. I design my speakers like no one else - how many speaker designers use a modular system? I build a bass cab/speaker stand and develop different mids and tweeter sections that are placed on top in an OB style.

 

[MrBoat]

I would say that back in the day, DIY had more of a case since loudspeaker science wasn't as well understood by anyone, and if you wanted a good one, it was easier to build something comparable to what was considered high-end. In other words, it wasn't just a hobby, it was just a way to acquire a great loudspeaker. Nowadays, DIY loudspeakers seems to be more of a hobby unto itself since commercial loudspeakers have come so far. If you are dedicated, sure, you can make something that compares to current high-end loudspeakers, but that takes a huge amount of time, resources, and effort for a solitary individual. Modern loudspeaker manufacturers have measurement gear, modeling software, and prototyping equipment that are well out of reach of the common person. That isn't even talking about the experience of veteran engineers who have decades of loudspeaker design.

That being said, going DIY still has its strengths, but they are definitely more specific than they used to be. I think that as a hobby, the design stage may only worth it for people who just want to understand the science better. Otherwise, DIYers should just go with pre-existing designs.

When I went to get into designing a loudspeaker, I had found that just about everything I could dream up, had been thought of already. The issue was all of the combinations of available drivers that could work together without extreme torture, had been either done already, or discussed somewhere.

Back before the internet, when we lived in a comparative bubble, it may have been more unique, at least with the much smaller social circles we had back then, but now all the cats are out of the bag and I'd instead have to be careful to not put too much time into something, claiming it as my own, only to find I wasn't the first.

These days, uniqueness would mean actually designing the drivers from scratch, and even then. . .things that have not been discovered or utilized are either inaudible, or redundant. Today, that's about the only thing that sets designs apart in my mind, are companies that design and manufacture their own drivers.

Thankfully, I find enough challenge in the cabinet work and even more with the finish.