SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

GuitarDoc

Bacteriaolgoist
All else being equal, what difference does it make to the tone of a speaker whether the cone is smooth vs corrugated?
 
Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

Yeah, yeah, I know. I probably deserve the "ribbing" by you guys.

But, really, if you had two speakers that were identical in every way except that one had a smooth cone and the other had a ribbed cone (same material, thickness, stiffness, same surrounds, etc.) what differences would you notice?
 
Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

This looks like a good discussion of the question here --
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t25603/

That's a lot of info about speakers, but nothing at all about the effect of the ribs or corrugations on the cone compared to smooth cones.

Anyone got something they can give me on this. Not just to satisfy my curiosity, but I'm going to purchase a new speaker and need some info to help me choose.
 
Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

A couple of people on that thread mention that the smooth cones were stiffer and would displace more air, translating into less breakup; but maybe I misunderstood the terminology; referring to "seamed" speakers as meaning speakers with corrugation (i.e. looking like concentric circles or waves).

Then there are the guys on the thread who say it makes no difference (of course!) ;-)
 
Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

I always figured those concentric corrugations were to add stiffness, which should contribute to less non-linear, non-concentric flexing, and therefore less distortion, especially at lower frequencies. Of course, to see the impact of the corrugations, you'd have to compare the speaker to a pretty similar model that lacked the corrugations.

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Lots of speaker designs use other methods and materials -- sometimes combined with corrugations -- to make a rigid cone what won't distort. You see this with higher-tech bass amps, PA type speakers, hi-fi home loudspeakers, studio monitors, and stuff like that. (Personally, I think it's kinda cool that the best guitar speaker is still a giant paper midrange in a plywood box.)
 
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Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

^That makes more sense. I think I mis-read that other thread, which is talking about seams (meaning where the cone is glued from the center to the outside to form its shape). Another post there suggested that the corrugation adds stiffness without adding as much weight. Maybe it adds some damping effect also?

I always wondered about this myself, so I am interested to see what people have to say on it.
 
Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

just email Weber they know all the "dope" about speakers and will probably be glad to explain it.

edit: looking around tedweber.com, it seems that this may be part of the explanation:
"When the speaker cone is vibrating in response to the input signal, many minor resonances and new frequencies appear in the resultant radiated signal in addition to the desired signal. Some of these are called bell modes. They are minor resonances on the surface around the circumference of the cone. The frequency is related to the radius (and circumference) of the cone. To stiffen the cone in an effort to prevent bell modes, ring corrugations are added at various intervals between the apex and the surround of the cone."
 
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Re: SPEAKER QUESTION..TO CORRUGATE OR NOT TO CORRUGATE

straight cones tend to sound bright and barky and break up earlier. i have ZERO scientific evidence of this but thats what my ears tell me
 
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