Magnet system
The topic of the evening examined the "magic" behind one of the very important elements of the loudspeaker driver, namely the magnet system. The magnet system has continued to evolve over time but especially fast over the last decade as more advanced simulation tools and materials have become available.
We had an introduction from Finn to the physics of the magnet system and the voice coil so everyone attending was up to speed before the magnifying glass was found and we dove into the nitty gritty parts relating to the magnet system.
Simulation tools like Comsol can bring us valuable knowledge of what happens in the top plate, the pole piece and back plate as the coil is moving in and out of the airgap. Optimization of the various parts in the magnet system can help reduce distortion and hence improve the sound quality of the loudspeaker driver.
Sound knowledge and creativity has brought loudspeaker driver manufacturers far before simulation tools where part of the R&D department's toolbox and there are many examples of this on the market today like Scan-Speaks's Ellipticor.
Suppliers of components for magnet systems have supported the evolution by developing new materials like Sintex's SMC that help reduce distortion in the loudspeaker driver. SMC are made of compressed powder which allows for more complex geometries than are usually available in the loudspeaker market.
Purifi told us about how they have brought all the above advancements plus a few extra tricks into play in their Ushindi PureDrive.
It was a very interesting and educational evening that clearly shows how the loudspeaker driver is still evolving and for everyone purchasing a product today with a newly designed transducer you should expect better performance now than what you would get 5 -10 years ago. The future for transducers looks very promising and we as Audiophiles are in for a treat the next 5 — 10 years.
