Can I listen to a speaker virtually?

[John Carr]

Is there a way I can hear what my speakers would sound like, generally, without finishing them? I have frequency response files, box dimensions, cubic feet of air within the box, and driver specifacations. All the info needed is there, but is there a way to vitualize so that I can listen via studio headphones? Sounds like a program somewhere should do this.

 

[malden]

Sounds like a program somewhere should do this.

this reminds me of the 2000's, everyone seemed to think that there should be a "program" for everything.

don't mind me....carry on

 

[Semanon]

It still would be colored by the sound of the speaker/headphones you are listening on. Kinda like auditioning speakers via YouTube.

Plus, it can’t take into account the interface with the room. I would be suspect of a program that purported to do this.

 

[John Carr]

It still would be colored by the sound of the speaker/headphones you are listening on. Kinda like auditioning speakers via YouTube.

Plus, it can’t take into account the interface with the room. I would be suspect of a program that purported to do this.

I know that it would'nt be perfect, but it would give a general idea

 

[gadget73]

Not really. Besides the cans, there is room interaction that affects things a great deal.

 

[Semanon]

I know that it would'nt be perfect, but it would give a general idea

I don’t think it would. I think when you built it and played some sound, it would not sound anything like the model. The thing that makes speakers different are the fine nuances. You would spend more time tweaking the model than building the speaker.

Look at the curve, that will give you an approximation. If you can’t correlate between the curve and the sound, then do an RTA on your speakers and other speakers you like and learn to ‘see’ what it will sound like.

I’m all for modeling. That’s what the curve is. But a model will never be the thing and IRL final products need to be tweaked.

 

[ra7c7er]

The available specs you list are barely the beginning of what you would need to reproduce accurate sound. Type of wood, baffles, internal insulation or not, Sealed or ported, Top or bottom port, and dozen upon dozens of other questions. Even if you could create a sound from "thin air specs" the odds of it actually being accurate to real life is slim. Companies with millions of dollars in R&D have been trying to do exactly what you are asking for decades with zero luck.

Not to mention if you could do that and create virtual speakers it'd make speakers nearly obsolete to the extent of all you'd need to do is have a neutral pair of speakers and just run the virtual program through them. I mean how awesome would it be if I could turn my JBL LX500 speakers into a pair of Magico M3 speakers (83 grand) with 50 dollar computer program.

I think the reason people say programs should exist is because car audio manufactures claim they have virtual programs that tell you exactly what kind of sound and power you are going to get from your sub box. When in reality they don't. They are just doing the exact same thing everyone else has been doing to get the specs for decades. Just more shady buzz words from a whole industry built on shady buzz words. Not that home audio is much better.

 

[swechsler]

Crutchfield offers their SpeakerCompare service, which allows you to audition different pairs of speakers over certain types of headphones. If you think this is something simple, take a look at what was involved in developing it. And this is for commercially made speakers.