Jason Unger
02-20-08, 10:32 AM
Why Resonant Frequencies Matter to Your Audio Setup
Understanding resonant frequencies can help clarify why one set of speakers sounds better than another.
You hear resonant frequencies every hour of every day of your life.
You may not know it, but you hear them.
A resonant frequency is the tone given off when an object resonates—simple enough. If you take a glass of water and tap on it, the mass of the water, in conjunction with the glass, reproduces a tone.
http://www.cepro.com/images/uploads/Resonant-Frequencies.jpg (http://www.cepro.com/article/why_resonant_frequencies_matter_to_your_audio_setup/)
Add more water, the tone gets lower. Drink some water, and the tone goes up.
For integrators, understanding resonant frequencies can help clarify why one set of speakers sounds better than another. It can help explain why people living in apartments and condominiums can sometimes hear quite clearly the music and soundtracks from their upstairs, downstairs or next-door neighbors.
Every object in the world has a resonant frequency. That’s the frequency that the object will sound, or resonate, when struck.
A lightweight object will generally have a higher resonant frequency than a heavy object. The weight of the object, however, is not the only determinant of resonant frequency.
The density of the object also enters into the equation. Think about that test back in high school physics, where you were asked, “Which weighs more, a pound of balsa wood or a pound of lead?”
The answer, of course, is that they weigh the same.
The density of the two materials, however, is substantially different. So, when you rap on lead, you get bruised knuckles. The lead also has a lower tone compared to that of the pound of balsa wood.
Resonance Matters
Speaker manufacturers care about resonant frequencies, as those frequencies can color the sound of the speaker they are trying to build.
If a note is played through a speaker, and that note is at the resonant frequency of the speaker, the speaker cabinet will radiate that sound. Over the years, manufacturers have worked to deaden their cabinets in a variety of ways.
Click here to continue. (http://www.cepro.com/article/why_resonant_frequencies_matter_to_your_audio_setup/)
Understanding resonant frequencies can help clarify why one set of speakers sounds better than another.
You hear resonant frequencies every hour of every day of your life.
You may not know it, but you hear them.
A resonant frequency is the tone given off when an object resonates—simple enough. If you take a glass of water and tap on it, the mass of the water, in conjunction with the glass, reproduces a tone.
http://www.cepro.com/images/uploads/Resonant-Frequencies.jpg (http://www.cepro.com/article/why_resonant_frequencies_matter_to_your_audio_setup/)
Add more water, the tone gets lower. Drink some water, and the tone goes up.
For integrators, understanding resonant frequencies can help clarify why one set of speakers sounds better than another. It can help explain why people living in apartments and condominiums can sometimes hear quite clearly the music and soundtracks from their upstairs, downstairs or next-door neighbors.
Every object in the world has a resonant frequency. That’s the frequency that the object will sound, or resonate, when struck.
A lightweight object will generally have a higher resonant frequency than a heavy object. The weight of the object, however, is not the only determinant of resonant frequency.
The density of the object also enters into the equation. Think about that test back in high school physics, where you were asked, “Which weighs more, a pound of balsa wood or a pound of lead?”
The answer, of course, is that they weigh the same.
The density of the two materials, however, is substantially different. So, when you rap on lead, you get bruised knuckles. The lead also has a lower tone compared to that of the pound of balsa wood.
Resonance Matters
Speaker manufacturers care about resonant frequencies, as those frequencies can color the sound of the speaker they are trying to build.
If a note is played through a speaker, and that note is at the resonant frequency of the speaker, the speaker cabinet will radiate that sound. Over the years, manufacturers have worked to deaden their cabinets in a variety of ways.
Click here to continue. (http://www.cepro.com/article/why_resonant_frequencies_matter_to_your_audio_setup/)