Transient distortion in loudspeakers

The response of a loudspeaker to sudden starts and stops of its input signal is analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. Transient distortion occurs when the acoustic output level does not change as suddenly as the input signal. Waveforms of loudspeaker response to various input signals are shown, and a method for plotting a continuous transient response curve is described. The curves indicate a correlation exists between a speaker's steady-state frequency response and its transient performance. It was found that little correlation exists between the transient performance of a loudspeaker and musical listening tests. Two explanations are given. One discusses how the psychoacoustic performance of the ear tends to make it insensitive to the shape of the wave envelope of a tone burst. Another relates how echoes in the usual listening room tend to mask the hangover transient of the loudspeaker.