Computer Engineered Enclosures
AEX Labs enclosures are not just ordinary boxes, nor are they even ordinary speaker enclosures for that matter. Every detail and issue in building an enclosure was considered before our present models were ever presented to market. The prototype stage of development is critical in bringing any innovative world class product to market and our monitors certainly were no exception. There were ideas and concepts to test, as we decided to find solutions to the problems that exist when attempting to reproduce world class, accurate audio.
Computer Designed Bracing (CDB) and Soundwave Isolation Technology (SWIT). First issue in designing a monitor is how to reduce or eliminate the enclosure walls from resonating.
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| AX-8.4.2 Soundtrack/Cinema Monitor: Computer Designed Bracing (CDB) |
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This problem has several ill effects on how you hear what is being reproduced; Mainly, the resonant frequency waves can cancel out frequencies intended to be played. We use two different solutions; Computer Designed Bracing (CDB), which reduces the surface area and raises resonance frequency of the enclosure wall, and in some models, our Soundwave Isolation Technology (SWIT), Isolated inner enclosure that houses drivers, wrapped with proprietary damping material, inside the outer enclosure.
Frequency Damping Technology (FDT) Damping material is notoriously ineffective, and even the use of dangerous glass fiber products can be found.
FDT vs Glass Fiber Damping Properties
125Hz 250Hz 500Hz 1000Hz 2Khz 4Khz NRC
Glass Fiber 0.17 0.20 0.72 0.99 1.01 1.09 0.81
FDT Fiber 0.97 1.37 1.23 1.08 1.02 1.01 1.15
High Flow Ports (HFP) Baffles or ports; We always opt for sealed enclosure designs, however, there are models we produce that require ports to accommodate various considerations, size etc.
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| High Flow Ports (HFP) |
Dimpled High Flow Port (Larger Ports) |
Ports are plagued with shortcomings, mainly what’s known as “Port Noise”. As airflow is subjected to a disturbance it causes turbulence. The drawbacks of using ports have been widely accepted, as no solution could be found. In the early 2000’s and with the help of computers our High Flow Ports (HFP) were developed. Our HFP design consists of an inner and outer, computer designed flange (the inside edge of the port is subjected to the same airflow limitations and disturbances as the outer edge). On larger ports we utilize a dimpled surface (same principle as “a dimpled golf ball will travel farther than a smooth one will”) to accommodate the larger volume of airflow.
Composite Isolation Baffle (CIB) The front baffle in any speaker is an important issue to solve. The vibration from the drivers must not travel through the enclosure walls.
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| Composite Isolation Baffle |
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Driver mounting vibration can be the cause of frequency cancellation and unwanted noise. The front baffle is a very important consideration in speaker design and performance. When material solutions and baffle thickness alone only get you part of the way, we had to get really creative and found composite baffles to be the answer. Our Composite Isolation Baffle (CIB) has passed all critical testing and will not pass offset vibration from even our LF-18’s (18”- 4 Kilowatt subwoofer).
Isolation Enclosures for Amplifiers and non-sealed Drivers In powered models, how to house an amplifier, and deal with it’s thermal influence on an enclosures interior is an issue.
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| Isolation Enclosures for Amplifier and MB-6 Drivers |
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Both the drivers and amplifier components have poor effects on one another; the heat from the amp diminishes driver performance and the force of a woofer can jar loose solder points and electrical components, not to mention the lose of the entire backwall of the enclosure. These issues are solved with well built isolation enclosures. Also a large amount of “jitter” can be contain if considered to avoid amplification errors.
High Density Phinolic Resin (HDPR) Fiber-Board The use of various materials have been disputed and advocated for years in the audio industry. Through our testing, we have found the following to be true; Fiber and layer compositions are better than solid woods (soft and hard). But this is were the real arguing begins, there are many who prefer birch ply, and others proponents of fiber. After testing we chose to begin working with fiber compositions as we could then manipulate additives, density, fiber mixes, etc. We finally acquired the right formula that gave a very “dead” response and had very low resonance properties.
World Class Finish The luxurious wet look of our enclosures has a stunning beauty that really catches the eye, a truly spectacular finish. We use BASF Glasurit®, which is recognized the world over as the leader in quality paint finishes. It proved its leadership with the introduction of 54-Line and more recently, 90-Line was launched as one of the first and remains the best waterborne basecoat system. Glasurit® is considered the best waterborne system and is used on ultra-luxury vehicles such as the Maybach® and Rolls-Royce®, a testament to the quality of this system and their relationship with these manufacturers. This finish and it’s process, meets the most stringent VOC regulations in the world, and lower VOC emissions will help to greatly improve air quality. Our finish also provides a 50% reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions, compared to solventborne systems. If the top customizers and most of the top luxury automobile manufacturers use Glasurit®, for us it is also, the obvious choice.
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