History of the Speaker

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The history - or rather, evolution - of the speaker

By Roy Johnson, loudspeaker designer, and Janet Lynn, Green Mountain Audio, Inc.

Chapter 1: 600 B.C. - 1799

Exploring the Mysteries of Sound, Electricity, and Magnetism

Observations of natural phenomena are analyzed and categorized for the first time. Mathematics and the scientific method replace Aristotelian natural philosophy. Nature is eventually seen as a set of complex systems, instead of by-products of supernatural forces. >

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Chapter 2: 1820 - 1925

The Integration of Science with Technology

Principals of electromagnetism are defined through observation, hypothesis, and experiment. The invention of wires, batteries, motors, and generators leads to electric power, light bulbs, and the telegraph, telephone, and radio. >

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Chapter 3: 1925 - 1945

Motion Pictures Create First Large-scale Demand

Though loudspeakers and vacuum tubes make radio possible, talking pictures spur interest in recording and reproduction. After WWII, governments subsidize electronics, microphones, and speakers for supplies of public address and communications equipment. >

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Chapter 4: 1948 - 1975

Smaller Sizes for the Home and Studios

Consumers may choose from many new types and sizes of speakers. Outdoor performances lead to concert sound systems. New methods of speaker measurement are developed. Psycho-acoustics are further explored. Roy Johnson's research, based on time-domain physics, materials science, and psycho-acoustics, begins in 1973. >

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Chapter 5: 1976 - Present

Exploring Measurements and Materials

Speaker designs, many with 'space age' engineering, satisfy large consumer demand. To make room for digital studies, USA universities drop the Physics requirement for Electrical Engineers. Computer-aided crossover designs reduce conventional distortions at the expense of increased time-domain distortions. >

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