The designs on these pages first took shape around 17 years ago, when I was making analog crossover boards with ExpressPCB. I had latched onto the idea of making a loudspeaker testbed that would allow comparing drivers under controlled conditions. I had blocked out a design for a 6-way loudspeaker in which the drivers could be switched with others, while using steep filters and volume compensation to ensure a “fair” comparison. This would be a “listening test” to help myself and others understand what matters most in loudspeaker design.
What started out as a rather ambitious 6-way analog crossover with volume controls and relay switching ended up as a series of DSP boards with constantly evolving software for control. Most of those designs are documented in these pages. It feels like a long journey driven by technology but not necessarily targeted to solve real problems. So, it’s worth re-evaluating the end goals and put some thought into how these designs will achieve those goals.
The four main thrusts
- 2.1 systems for PC’s
- 2-way or 3-way full-featured active speakers
- Micro speakers for near-field listening
- Line arrays