High Efficiency Speaker Asylum: pertinent research by EGeddes

While I was a consultant to B&C we did a study of the sound quality of 2" compression drivers. The details are too involved to elaborate on here, but basically all else was held fixed but the drivers in a double blind study with 28 subjects using music. Two dimensions were studied, linear and nonlinear distortions. The details of this study will be in a future AES journal.

There was no statistical difference between a JBL, a Beyma and a B&C for nonlinear distortion. There was a small detectable difference between one driver and the other two for linear distortion but the significance was barely detectable. There was also no statistical difference between the driver and a direct pass of the actual signal (no driver). In other words they were all darn near perfect reproducers. No drivers were EQ'd (except for identical mass roll-off correction). Crossover 800 Hz. With EQ I am certain that no one could tell the difference in any of these drivers. It is likely that no one could tell any difference between the drivers on a horn either.

Basically, it appears to me that all drivers are basically the same - when the test is blind. Not blind, well thats can be anything.

Another less controlled study compared a B&C 1" driver with a TAD 2001 in a double blind subjective study on identical systems. The B&C was slightly prefered over the TAD, but statistically they were just about the same - except for their price.

All in all I have found that the dominant factor in compression driver/horn systems in the horn (I prefer waveguides). This factor swamps out any driver differences. So I buy the most cost effective drivers - B&C actually.

Earl Geddes