More Bass, Less Space
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More Bass, Less Space
They're in your home, in your phone and in your car. They're even pumping out Muzak in the elevator. Even though loudspeakers surround us, their basic design -- a cone of paper that vibrates in response to changes in a magnetic field -- has not changed fundamentally in almost 80 years. Until now.
Tymphany, a startup founded by musicians and audio engineers, is taking a whole new approach to loudspeaker design, one that promises to bring room-shaking sound to flat-panel televisions and iPod docks by packing far more bass into smaller speakers.
The Cupertino, California, company set out to redesign subwoofers, the speakers that produce the booming bass notes that add what Ken Kantor, the company's chief technical officer, calls "visceral enjoyment" to music.
While audio systems have become steadily smaller over the years, Kantor says, "everything has shrunk except bass speakers."
Accurately recreating low frequencies has usually required making speaker enclosures larger or adding separate -- and typically bulky -- boxes for subwoofers. The excessive size of traditional subwoofer designs has kept top-notch audio out of many places where people would really like it, says Kantor. "There just isn't room to put bigger woofers in things like flat-panel televisions," he says.
Tymphany hopes to change that with a remarkably simple new speaker design called the Tymphany LAT. Rather than a single, large cone-shaped diaphragm pushing air out straight ahead, the company has lined up a series of smaller diaphragms in a tube with one driver at each end. Every other diaphragm moves in sync, in a push-pull manner like an accordion. The bass is pumped out through open ports along the sides of the cylindrical speaker box.
The smaller of Tymphany's new speaker cases is only 5 inches in diameter, yet, according to the company, each one can deliver the bass output of two 10-inch traditional speakers. Tymphany also makes a more powerful speaker enclosure that is 7 inches in diameter.
The opposing drivers provide another advantage over single-diaphragm bass speakers: They cancel out the thumping vibration that, as much as size, has kept subwoofers out of electronic devices like televisions and computers. That vibration, says Kantor, can easily shake apart sensitive electronic circuits or cause the head of a disk drive to bounce across the drive's surface.
Kantor says that when his engineers produced a 3-foot-high prototype of the Tymphany LAT, they were able to balance a penny on its edge on top of the tube, even while pumping out rock-concert-volume bass.
Tymphany's speakers will most likely make their first appearance in the automotive world. Car-audio maker Alpine Electronics has already begun buying them for installation in car stereo systems. Tymphany is also developing smaller speakers sized to fit into computers or docking stations for MP3 players.
At least one company, Klipsch Audio Technologies, is looking at putting Tymphany's smaller speakers in those sorts of products. Today's docking stations have "limited audio performance," says Kerry Geist, principal audio engineer at Klipsch. "There's simply not enough room in them to install really good speakers. Tymphany's speakers fit into spots where it would have been difficult to put a traditional driver."
Which means that soon, the compact MP3 speaker system that sits on your desk may just rock your world a whole lot more.
Tymphany, a startup founded by musicians and audio engineers, is taking a whole new approach to loudspeaker design, one that promises to bring room-shaking sound to flat-panel televisions and iPod docks by packing far more bass into smaller speakers.
The Cupertino, California, company set out to redesign subwoofers, the speakers that produce the booming bass notes that add what Ken Kantor, the company's chief technical officer, calls "visceral enjoyment" to music.
While audio systems have become steadily smaller over the years, Kantor says, "everything has shrunk except bass speakers."
Accurately recreating low frequencies has usually required making speaker enclosures larger or adding separate -- and typically bulky -- boxes for subwoofers. The excessive size of traditional subwoofer designs has kept top-notch audio out of many places where people would really like it, says Kantor. "There just isn't room to put bigger woofers in things like flat-panel televisions," he says.
Tymphany hopes to change that with a remarkably simple new speaker design called the Tymphany LAT. Rather than a single, large cone-shaped diaphragm pushing air out straight ahead, the company has lined up a series of smaller diaphragms in a tube with one driver at each end. Every other diaphragm moves in sync, in a push-pull manner like an accordion. The bass is pumped out through open ports along the sides of the cylindrical speaker box.
The smaller of Tymphany's new speaker cases is only 5 inches in diameter, yet, according to the company, each one can deliver the bass output of two 10-inch traditional speakers. Tymphany also makes a more powerful speaker enclosure that is 7 inches in diameter.
The opposing drivers provide another advantage over single-diaphragm bass speakers: They cancel out the thumping vibration that, as much as size, has kept subwoofers out of electronic devices like televisions and computers. That vibration, says Kantor, can easily shake apart sensitive electronic circuits or cause the head of a disk drive to bounce across the drive's surface.
Kantor says that when his engineers produced a 3-foot-high prototype of the Tymphany LAT, they were able to balance a penny on its edge on top of the tube, even while pumping out rock-concert-volume bass.
Tymphany's speakers will most likely make their first appearance in the automotive world. Car-audio maker Alpine Electronics has already begun buying them for installation in car stereo systems. Tymphany is also developing smaller speakers sized to fit into computers or docking stations for MP3 players.
At least one company, Klipsch Audio Technologies, is looking at putting Tymphany's smaller speakers in those sorts of products. Today's docking stations have "limited audio performance," says Kerry Geist, principal audio engineer at Klipsch. "There's simply not enough room in them to install really good speakers. Tymphany's speakers fit into spots where it would have been difficult to put a traditional driver."
Which means that soon, the compact MP3 speaker system that sits on your desk may just rock your world a whole lot more.
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Tymphany LAT woofers
Alpine used an Xb for the demo...read the article below:
http://www.thetechlounge.com/article...io+Show+Floor/
Product at Alpine:
http://www.alpine-usa.com/en/product...hp?model=PLV-7
http://www.thetechlounge.com/article...io+Show+Floor/
Product at Alpine:
http://www.alpine-usa.com/en/product...hp?model=PLV-7
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The prices are already listed on the Alpine site.
The 500 watt powered 7" system in a bandpass enclosure is $750.
The 250 watt powered 5" system in a bandpass enclosure is $650.
If the claims in the articles are true these prices are very reasonable. Where else are you going to get two 12s, an amp to power them and an enclosure for $750? Or two 10s, the amp and enclosure for $650? Especially with a name like alpine attached to them.
Personally, I am holding out judgement until I hear them in person. This sounds like a good option for tight spaces in theory. But until I hear them myself, I'm not buying it "whole hog."
The 500 watt powered 7" system in a bandpass enclosure is $750.
The 250 watt powered 5" system in a bandpass enclosure is $650.
If the claims in the articles are true these prices are very reasonable. Where else are you going to get two 12s, an amp to power them and an enclosure for $750? Or two 10s, the amp and enclosure for $650? Especially with a name like alpine attached to them.
Personally, I am holding out judgement until I hear them in person. This sounds like a good option for tight spaces in theory. But until I hear them myself, I'm not buying it "whole hog."
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Originally Posted by RTon20s
Personally, I am holding out judgement until I hear them in person. This sounds like a good option for tight spaces in theory. But until I hear them myself, I'm not buying it "whole hog."
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Taken directly from http://www.thebuttkicker.com/index.html
Of if you read on this line will show you why no one use this in their car.
I figure its more important to be able to hear my music that to make others listen to it......Of course you always get those a$$holes who as soon as they see you with your windows down they try and blast you, but there speakers sound as if they where made out of rattley metal with tin foil pieces hissing around.
The ButtKicker is a small, linear motor, which reacts to an audio signal sent by an amplifier. It is similar to a loudspeaker, but instead of moving a cone, and transferring sound waves through the air, it attaches to seats and floors, and sends low frequency sound directly into the listener's body. The effect is amazing.
The ButtKicker reproduces the feeling range of audio in a more direct way than through air. The perception is actually better and sound pressure disappears. When using headphones, for example, with a ButtKicker, the listener perceives powerful, musically accurate, concert-level audio, but no one else hears anything. The sound is completely isolated to the listener.
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OK Audiophiles, some of you need to jump in here because I am about to get in way over my head. 
From my basic understanding of the system design and how most speakers work their theory is quite simple. Rather than having all of the surface area in a single cone (or pair since that is what they actually have and are compared to) you get 3 (or 6 as the case may be).
Since all of the conical diaphragms are attached to each other you are effectively increasing your surface area from a typical 5" or 7" woofer to that of a 10" or 12" woofer. Then the chassis of the woofer system is vented between each diaphragm to allow sound pressure waves to escape. I'm really not sophisticated enough to guess or speculate about what having the opposing woofer design does for the system.
I'd definitely be interested in checking one of these things out though. I wonder of Tymphany has already patented the system? If they have, and these things take off, they stand to make a lot of money as other brands play "catch up." And probably even more when one of the larger electronic companies acquires them.
From my basic understanding of the system design and how most speakers work their theory is quite simple. Rather than having all of the surface area in a single cone (or pair since that is what they actually have and are compared to) you get 3 (or 6 as the case may be).
Since all of the conical diaphragms are attached to each other you are effectively increasing your surface area from a typical 5" or 7" woofer to that of a 10" or 12" woofer. Then the chassis of the woofer system is vented between each diaphragm to allow sound pressure waves to escape. I'm really not sophisticated enough to guess or speculate about what having the opposing woofer design does for the system.
I'd definitely be interested in checking one of these things out though. I wonder of Tymphany has already patented the system? If they have, and these things take off, they stand to make a lot of money as other brands play "catch up." And probably even more when one of the larger electronic companies acquires them.
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I think you are on the right track RTon20s. From what I can see in the pics they are getting the surface area of six 5" or 7" woofers which would definitely be around the surface area of the size woofers they claim to replace. I'm sure there's a math whiz around here that can give us a close figure.
I assume they are getting some type of compression factor having the opposing surfaces which should boost the air velocity thereby producing more output.
If it works as well as advertised, and is clean and loud at the sound levels I listen to my ED 12s at, I would definately be interested so I would regain that space and lose the weight.
Imagine the possible output by using multiple sets??????
I assume they are getting some type of compression factor having the opposing surfaces which should boost the air velocity thereby producing more output.
If it works as well as advertised, and is clean and loud at the sound levels I listen to my ED 12s at, I would definately be interested so I would regain that space and lose the weight.
Imagine the possible output by using multiple sets??????
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LOL... I actually did the basic math before I posted just to confirm to myself that I wasn't completely off base. I calculated using the nominal diameter of the woofer size for the calculation. I.E. 12" woofer used a 12" circle, 10" woofer used a 10" circle, and so on. I know the actual diameter is much smaller since you have to take into account the chassis and surround. But given the angle of the cone, the numbers will probably put us in the right ball park.
Anyway... this is what I got...
12" Sub - 0.7854 SF (Square Feet) - Paired - 1.5708 SF
7" Tymphany system - 1.6035 SF
10" Sub - 0.54542 SF - Paired - 1.09084 SF
5" Tymphany system - 0.8181 SF
So using those numbers I figured their comparisons were quite reasonable. At least in terms of surface area. And given the system design, I assume they are probably have a fairly long throw excursion for their size.
Oh, and I didn't actually calculate out all of the math. It is nice to have CAD at your disposal sometimes.
Anyway... this is what I got...
12" Sub - 0.7854 SF (Square Feet) - Paired - 1.5708 SF
7" Tymphany system - 1.6035 SF
10" Sub - 0.54542 SF - Paired - 1.09084 SF
5" Tymphany system - 0.8181 SF
So using those numbers I figured their comparisons were quite reasonable. At least in terms of surface area. And given the system design, I assume they are probably have a fairly long throw excursion for their size.
Oh, and I didn't actually calculate out all of the math.
It is nice to have CAD at your disposal sometimes.
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Hey... looks like we were pretty close. Got lucky I guess. I was right about the surface area and the ports. It looks like the opposing driver design was used to reduce mechanical vibration. I think I am going to see if I can check out one of the Alpine systems locally. But I guess the real questions are... Where can we buy these things without having to get the loaded enclosures from Alpine? Where can we find enclosure design requirements and recommendations?
http://www.tymphany.com/products_Tymphany_LAT.html
Tymphany Linear Array Transducer (LAT)
The Tymphany Linear Array Transducer (LAT) is the first audio transducer to bring great bass to the new generation of consumer lifestyle products. Extremely scalable, the patented Tymphany LAT delivers a richer sound experience to places never before thought possible. With its new slim shape, no mechanical vibration, and sleek styling, the Tymphany LAT represents the first significant breakthrough in transducer technology since the inception of conventional audio transducers.
How it Works
In a dramatic departure from conventional cone transducers that displace air across a single diaphragm, the Tymphany LAT displaces air using a linear array of multiple smaller diaphragms. The result is a more efficient transducer geometry for a given SPL. The balanced drive design is comprised of a series of coupled diaphragms that are driven by opposing end motors. One motor drives half of the diaphragms, while the other motor drives the other half in opposition. Sound radiates through multiple flow ports along the side of the housing. The transducer can be mounted either horizontally or vertically into much shallower and narrower boxes than conventional drivers.
Features
Efficient Form Factor - The revolutionary Tymphany LAT brings bass where it could never go before as a result of its breakthrough design and sleek profile. For example, the Tymphany LAT 500 <datasheet/subnav.php?br=tl&ty=sw&li=24> packs the power of two 10” subwoofers into a thin tube-shaped transducer only 5” wide, and the Tymphany LAT 700 <datasheet/subnav.php?br=tl&ty=sw&li=25> offers the equivalent of two 12” subwoofers in a streamlined 7” width.
Vibration Free - The Tymphany LAT is vibration free, offering a bass sound with minimal or no artefacts. Unlike conventional cone-shaped transducers, the Tymphany LAT has been designed with opposing end motors that cancel out structural vibration, so the transducer does not shake and will not transmit structure-born vibrations to critical circuitry in consumer products. Having done away with mechanical vibration, the Tymphany LAT contributes to system stability, and eliminates the potential for rattle or buzz that vibration can cause in audio systems.
Design Differentiation - Because of its unique form factor and sleek appearance, the Tymphany LAT can be can be used to significantly differentiate and aesthetically enhance consumer products.
I was right about the surface area and the ports. It looks like the opposing driver design was used to reduce mechanical vibration. I think I am going to see if I can check out one of the Alpine systems locally. But I guess the real questions are... Where can we buy these things without having to get the loaded enclosures from Alpine? Where can we find enclosure design requirements and recommendations? http://www.tymphany.com/products_Tymphany_LAT.html
Tymphany Linear Array Transducer (LAT)
The Tymphany Linear Array Transducer (LAT) is the first audio transducer to bring great bass to the new generation of consumer lifestyle products. Extremely scalable, the patented Tymphany LAT delivers a richer sound experience to places never before thought possible. With its new slim shape, no mechanical vibration, and sleek styling, the Tymphany LAT represents the first significant breakthrough in transducer technology since the inception of conventional audio transducers.
How it Works
In a dramatic departure from conventional cone transducers that displace air across a single diaphragm, the Tymphany LAT displaces air using a linear array of multiple smaller diaphragms. The result is a more efficient transducer geometry for a given SPL. The balanced drive design is comprised of a series of coupled diaphragms that are driven by opposing end motors. One motor drives half of the diaphragms, while the other motor drives the other half in opposition. Sound radiates through multiple flow ports along the side of the housing. The transducer can be mounted either horizontally or vertically into much shallower and narrower boxes than conventional drivers.
Features
Efficient Form Factor - The revolutionary Tymphany LAT brings bass where it could never go before as a result of its breakthrough design and sleek profile. For example, the Tymphany LAT 500 <datasheet/subnav.php?br=tl&ty=sw&li=24> packs the power of two 10” subwoofers into a thin tube-shaped transducer only 5” wide, and the Tymphany LAT 700 <datasheet/subnav.php?br=tl&ty=sw&li=25> offers the equivalent of two 12” subwoofers in a streamlined 7” width.
Vibration Free - The Tymphany LAT is vibration free, offering a bass sound with minimal or no artefacts. Unlike conventional cone-shaped transducers, the Tymphany LAT has been designed with opposing end motors that cancel out structural vibration, so the transducer does not shake and will not transmit structure-born vibrations to critical circuitry in consumer products. Having done away with mechanical vibration, the Tymphany LAT contributes to system stability, and eliminates the potential for rattle or buzz that vibration can cause in audio systems.
Design Differentiation - Because of its unique form factor and sleek appearance, the Tymphany LAT can be can be used to significantly differentiate and aesthetically enhance consumer products.
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Tube sound
N00b audiophile here, ( Iwork at a high end audo company... name ryhmes with "Nose") but I wanna point something out realll quick
honestly, I've heard tube subs like that and they all have a "Tubular sound" to them. (this seems logical, but they have a really noticable sound) If you are looking for crisp sounding stuff without the tube sound, , go with the old style cones. 2 8" subs will be plenty responsive and punchy enough, but won't be competition lvel stuff: I.E. you won't break your neighbors windows, but you'lll fill out the low level nicely.
As you can see I'm not shilling for my commpany, hell we don't even do aftermarket parts.
honestly, I've heard tube subs like that and they all have a "Tubular sound" to them. (this seems logical, but they have a really noticable sound) If you are looking for crisp sounding stuff without the tube sound, , go with the old style cones. 2 8" subs will be plenty responsive and punchy enough, but won't be competition lvel stuff: I.E. you won't break your neighbors windows, but you'lll fill out the low level nicely.
As you can see I'm not shilling for my commpany, hell we don't even do aftermarket parts.
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But the size you get can't complain. I am currently using lotus for subs and they sound amazing. Same set up as the number 2 and number 1 guy (my friends buddy) for SPL in the nation but takes up my trunk space. This is a great alternative so that you can have trunk space.
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Hey my big problem is figuring out how i'm going to get 1.5 cubic feet of airspace in the right-side trunk compartment for my JL Audio 12w4. Obviously I'm going to have to do a fiberglass box but if I can't get the full airspace, I'm going to have to make some sort of aperiodic port or something. Any ideas?
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Originally Posted by RTon20s
The prices are already listed on the Alpine site.
The 500 watt powered 7" system in a bandpass enclosure is $750.
The 250 watt powered 5" system in a bandpass enclosure is $650.
If the claims in the articles are true these prices are very reasonable. Where else are you going to get two 12s, an amp to power them and an enclosure for $750? Or two 10s, the amp and enclosure for $650? Especially with a name like alpine attached to them.
Personally, I am holding out judgement until I hear them in person. This sounds like a good option for tight spaces in theory. But until I hear them myself, I'm not buying it "whole hog."
The 500 watt powered 7" system in a bandpass enclosure is $750.
The 250 watt powered 5" system in a bandpass enclosure is $650.
If the claims in the articles are true these prices are very reasonable. Where else are you going to get two 12s, an amp to power them and an enclosure for $750? Or two 10s, the amp and enclosure for $650? Especially with a name like alpine attached to them.
Personally, I am holding out judgement until I hear them in person. This sounds like a good option for tight spaces in theory. But until I hear them myself, I'm not buying it "whole hog."
PLV-7-699.95
PLT-5-599.95
The response has been incredible I can not keep them in stock