Sound Measurements and Loud-Speaker Characteristics

A brief description of the method used to measure loud-speaker response is given. The Rayleigh disk and condenser microphone are compared as sound detectors. A number of loudspeaker sound pressure response curves are shown, and interpreted in terms of pleasantness of reproduction, as determined by low-and high-frequency cut-off, smoothness of response, and tone balance. Tube overloading and the effect of loudspeaker response on its apparent accentuation or diminution is discussed. The effect of room absorption characteristics, room resonances, position of the loudspeaker in the room, and position of the listener with respect to loud-speaker on loudspeaker reproduction is explained by means of diagrams and loudspeaker response curves.