Thermal Distortion your loudspeaker most likely suffers from it. But do you care?


 Thermal Distortion is much more serious than just a maximum power handling limitation or side effect.TD is overlooked by most manufacturers as there is no easy (low cost) solution and TD is audible and measurable most of the time at most power levels. TD is caused by the conductive metal (aluminum, copper, or silver) voice coil getting hotter when you pass electrical energy through it. The more power you pass through it the hotter the metal gets. The hotter the metal gets the more the electrical resistance increase. The efficiency goes down and you need to ram in more and more power for smaller and smaller increases in SPL. It can be the reason you get fatigued while listening. If you are running massive power you are creating more TD in your transducers. But do you care? And is it a reason some prefer horn-loaded designs or SET-powered systems since they have the least problems with TD? 

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Showing 2 responses by mglik

Can anyone confirm my lay understanding that Zobel Networks do, in fact, have a significant, if not great, effect on the SQ when applied correctly to a speaker?

AKA, “Deulund-Mundorf Ultra Speaker Purifiers” sold on AG.

k

I think this heat issue may effect high frequencies most.

And it may be that the AG sold, “Deulund-Mundorf Ultra Speaker Purifiers” could be the solution to the heat issue. After 100++ hours of breakin they have had a profound effect on the soundstage and imaging. I now hear layers in a wide and deep soundstage and imaging has come into focus like never before.

These can be self made but the seller adjusts the values of the cap and resistor to match your speaker’s needs. 
This idea is not new. They are also known as Zobel Networks.

They only effect frequencies 12K and above. So above the crossover point of most.

Radically improved my listening experience.