Too Airtight?

[ManFromPorlock]

Something occurred to me after I resealed my KLH 17s (very successfully) with rope caulk: can an airtight speaker cabinet be too airtight? I can imagine a cabinet sealed on a day of low barometric pressure with its drivers' cones pressed inward when the barometric pressure rises. Pretty much like having a DC offset at the amp.

Probably there's enough leakage that the problem is more theoretical than real. But I wonder if a very small hole drilled in the cab might not be prudent insurance.

 

[klama2006]

Put a Valve on there, then you could adjust the internal pressure to your listening preferences. I'm just joking, but that can be a new concept explored here.

I think any pressure would even out in just a few minutes, if not hours.

 

[secondslc]

But I wonder if a very small hole drilled in the cab might not be prudent insurance.

Whistling speaker?

I wouldn't worry about it..

 

[klama2006]

Don't KLH-17 have paper drivers? I wouldn't think this material would maintain an air pressure over any period of time.

 

[chadnliz]

Put a Valve on there, then you could adjust the internal pressure to your listening preferences. I'm just joking, but that can be a new concept explored here.

I think any pressure would even out in just a few minutes, if not hours.

Wow thats a new twist one "Tube" gear!

 

[ryuuoh]

What happens when you fill them with Helium?

 

[klama2006]

What happens when you fill them with Helium?

I'd imagine Helium would make things sound a little too "bright", Might add a little spaciousness to the soundstage.

 

[austi15]

In a large enough perfectly sealed cab with completely controlled outside pressure, with the best drivers out there. Basically a perfect sealed design.... I bet there would be an audible difference between different gasses....BUT...
1. Is it plausible (money-wise)
2. would it be worth doing
3. Is it absolute awesomeness?

no, no, and a resounding YES .
I would love to see someone else try it.....with their money :yes:

 

[johnda]

Acoustic Suspension speakers are designed to have woofers that literally flop around in open air. Their suspension is the air pressure in the box which makes them perform linearly. Without that pressure, they cannot perform properly. So you can't have leaks at all. Any small hole can hurt performance by allowing air to push out. Now, can you have too much pressure? I guess it's possible, but just sealing the speaker would not make an effect. You really would need to have a small hole, use a compressor to blast extra air into the box, then seal the dang thing before it could leak out. Naaaa, ain't gonna happen.

 

[budgetaudio6]

or you could bring them out to the cold for a couple hours. un seal them, reseal them then bring them back inside where its warm. unless they are used outside. then you gotta use special gasses. what ever you do dont use propane or natural gas!

 

[whoaru99]

Some guys on another forum tried stuffing their speaker boxes with helium filled bags (balloons?) in an attempt to alter the internal volume.

If I recall properly it didn't produce the intended/expected result.

Here's a little sulfur hexafluoride for 'ya.

 

[dnewma04]

No acoustic suspension speakers are perfectly air tight because things like surrounds and cones all leak gradually.

 

[cfranz]

No. A speaker cannot be too air tight.

 

[tarior]

Put a Schrader valve in the cabinet, and voila!, instant variable damping!

 

[ic-racer]

I fill mine with a mixture of 70% Nitrogen....

 

[dnewma04]

An aperiodic membrane is the valve that people are describing. It's just not as easy to adjust as other types of valves.

 

[dew042]

I fill mine with a mixture of 70% Nitrogen....

I use 78% nitrogen.

dew.