Best book for Loudspeaker cabinet design

[Scout17]

Looking to buy some reference books for speaker design. Was there a book written by James Lansing? Thanks for your help.

 

[maxhifi]

Would you consider yourself beginner, intermediate, or advanced? Do you want to read some historical material, some heavy theoretical stuff, or practical do it yourself info? Do you want this to learn about speakers and acoustics in general, or is the end goal to build something specific?

If you don't mind something slightly heavy, and also very historically interesting, I say start here
http://cyrille.pinton.free.fr/electroac/lectures_utiles/son/Olson.pdf

For something more modern, this book looks pretty good
http://ozvuke.pro/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=1548

If you are a beginner, anything by David Weems would be a good read. It's a little dated by now, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who started off taking a David Weems book out of the library.

If you want to make something practical, I suggest Vance Dickson,Loudspeaker Design Cookbook (Audio Amateur Publications, 1998)

 

[Scout17]

Thank you, I am more on the practical side. i think. I am a Furniture Design Student and next year for my BFA I have to do some research and design my own line. I am thinking of making it related to HIFI music and how vinyl has come back in the last couple of years. long story short I am thinking of designing a two way speaker with a wolfer and a horn. as one of my pieces, I plan to buy the components. classic American made stuff. any help is appreciated.

 

[maxhifi]

Thank you, I am more on the practical side. i think. I am a Furniture Design Student and next year for my BFA I have to do some research and design my own line. I am thinking of making it related to HIFI music and how vinyl has come back in the last couple of years. long story short I am thinking of designing a two way speaker with a wolfer and a horn. as one of my pieces, I plan to buy the components. classic American made stuff. any help is appreciated.

Ah, see in that case, read the second link I sent to get an idea of the technologies, and then look for a DIY design someone else did. Focus on the furniture aspect, it's what you're supposed to be doing anyway, right? You can change the shape of an enclosure, just maintain the right internal volume. Post questions about your project, lots of knowledge here.

I always thought the hardest to design furniture is chairs.. Speakers are just boxes, really

 

[mhardy6647]

In terms of designing an appropriate enclosure for a given set of drivers (i.e., first and foremost, to get the most out of a woofer) I like Ray Alden's books. No idea if any of them are still in print.
David Weems books are good.
FWIW, I don't much care for Vance Dickason's cookbooks (although I do own a copy of one, probably about 12 or more years old) -- because they are just that, cookbooks. Hard (IMO) to take the information there and extrapolate to something else. Alden, e.g., gives enough theory and equations to let one actually do some design with only minimal formal education in the physics of acoustics.

It's also worth mentioning that some of the most interesting loudspeaker enclosure designs generally don't get much airplay in the massmarket speaker design books. Here's an excellent example, in my hardly-humble opinion.
http://www.quarter-wave.com/

The OP might also want to look at some of the classic designs.
Here's a simple, one-stop-shopping example that's easy to get and well worth perusal (again, IMO).
http://www.tubebooks.org/file_downloads/Jensen_spkr_plans.pdf

Here's another one, albeit somewhat less interesting
https://www.electrovoice.com/binary/Bulletin10A.pdf

Finally, Dr. Harry F. Olson did, rather literally, write the book on loudspeaker design principles.
Serious perusal of the subject should include his work (as well as that of the pioneers at Western Electric, of course).
http://cyrille.pinton.free.fr/electroac/lectures_utiles/son/Olson.pdf (1940)
http://cyrille.pinton.free.fr/electroac/lectures_utiles/son/Olson.pdf (1957)

Here's a rather cool Olson book (not explicitly on loudspeaker design) from Pete Millett's wonderful resource www.tubebooks.org
http://www.tubebooks.org/Books/Atwood/Olson 1943 Dynamical Analogies.pdf

 

[Scout17]

Ah, see in that case, read the second link I sent to get an idea of the technologies, and then look for a DIY design someone else did. Focus on the furniture aspect, it's what you're supposed to be doing anyway, right? You can change the shape of an enclosure, just maintain the right internal volume. Post questions about your project, lots of knowledge here.

I always thought the hardest to design furniture is chairs.. Speakers are just boxes, really

thanks, I am going to the library this week. I am sure i will have lots of questions.

 

[Marine0811]

Are you planning your own design or basically copying someone else’s?

 

[mhardy6647]

... or just build a Paragon (or a Metregon).

 

[onepixel]

Dude... it's woofer, not wolfer.

There are seem super knowledgeable guys here. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Scout17]

Are you planning your own design or basically copying someone else’s?

i hope do my own design. but based on solid research of existing designs. this will be my first attempt at this. i was thinking of copying a design ( not for my project) just to get my feet wet and learn my way around. so i am not totally green on my design for school.

 

[TudorTurtle]

Speaker Building 201, by Ray Alden is well written and very good place to start. Also look at Troels Gravesens website
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Diy_Loudspeaker_Projects.htm

 

[Bradrock]

This here is my favorite speaker book & a great fun read if your into vintage classics. Light on audio engineering mathematics. But it does have basic explanations of the different types & a bit of theory. The fun part is the drawings & dimensions for several of the 60's classics like Klipsh, Altec, JBL & my soon to start project........the Bozak B-410 Concert Grands !
I bought the book in 1971 & it has taken me this long for all of the stars to line up! Heh..Heh
Get it, you'll like it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/How-To-Bui...h=item2cd95126ab:g:NB0AAOSwNUtbb125:rk:4:pf:0