[sdiy] inductors, B fields, and confusion

[Don Tillman]

   > Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 01:42:26 -0700
   > From: "Scott E." <yahudinyhwh at sbcglobal.net>
   > 
   > Thanks for this explanation. As an additional question on this scenario, 
   > what would the effect the two driver setups would have on the damping 
   > ability of the amplifier driving the loads? As I recall, the damping 
   > factor of an amp related to the amp's output impedance and the load 
   > impedance. Although the 16 ohm driver in parallel and the 4 ohm drivers 
   > in series present the "same" 8 ohm load to the amp, I cant help but 
   > think that the damping of the parallel drivers should be better as well. 
   > Can you confirm this or explain otherwise?

True.  However...

Damping factor isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Some of the best amplifiers have mediocre damping factors.

And while it is true that with speakers in series, each speaker acts
as a series impedance for the other speaker, the speakers-in-series
approach really assumes that the speakers are identical, electrically
and mechanically, and have an equal contribution to the acoustic
output.  That means that if you want to measure the damping factor in
such a situation you really have to perform the measurement on both
speakers simultaneously, and that would cancel out the effect of each
speaker acting as an impedance in series with the other speaker.


  -- Don

-- 
Don Tillman
Palo Alto, California
don at till.com
http://www.till.com