Speaker cable systems can include wires.
The present disclosure describes apparatuses and methods of a bi-wire audio cable system that can reduce propagation velocity differentials between low and high frequencies within the audio band, by adjusting the resistive and capacitive components of the cables. Implementations of the bi-wire audio system can utilize two cables, one for low frequencies and one for high frequencies, with different characteristics, the impedance of the cables can be configured to be relatively consistent across the audio spectrum, minimizing the change in Vp and reducing group delay, thereby increasing audio fidelity.
At least one aspect is directed to a bi-wire audio system. The bi-wire audio system can include a first cable. The first cable can have a first plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a first diameter. The first cable can be connected to a high frequency input of a speaker. The bi-wire audio system can also include a second cable. The second cable can have a second plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a second diameter. The second cable can be connected to a low frequency input of the speaker. The second diameter of each conductor of the second plurality of insulated conductors can be larger than the first diameter of each conductor of the first plurality of insulated conductors.
At least one aspect is directed to a system. The system can include a first plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a first diameter. The first plurality of insulated conductors can be connected to a high frequency input of a speaker. The system can also include a second plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a second diameter. The second plurality of insulated conductors can be connected to a low frequency input of the speaker. The second diameter of each conductor of the second plurality of insulated conductors can be larger than the first diameter of each conductor of the first plurality of insulated conductors.
At least one aspect is generally directed to a method of manufacturing a bi-wire audio cable. The method can include disposing, within a first cable, a first plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a first diameter. The first cable can be connected to a high frequency input of a speaker. The method can also include disposing, within a second cable, a second plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a second diameter. The second cable can be connected to a low frequency input of the speaker. The second diameter of each conductor of the second plurality of insulated conductors can be larger than the first diameter of each conductor of the first plurality of insulated conductors.
At least one aspect is generally directed to a method of providing a bi-wire audio cable. The bi-wire audio cable can include a first cable. The first cable can have a first plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a first diameter. The first cable can be connected to a high frequency input of a speaker. The bi-wire cable can also include a second cable. The second cable can have a second plurality of insulated conductors. Each conductor can have a second diameter. The second cable can be connected to a low frequency input of the speaker. The second diameter of each conductor of the second plurality of insulated conductors can be larger than the first diameter of each conductor of the first plurality of insulated conductors.
These and other aspects and implementations are discussed in detail below. The foregoing information and the following detailed description include illustrative examples of various aspects and implementations, and provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the claimed aspects and implementations. The drawings provide illustration and a further understanding of the various aspects and implementations, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The foregoing information and the following detailed description and drawings include illustrative examples and should not be considered as limiting.
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
The present disclosure describes a bi-wire audio cable system. The bi-wire audio system can include a first (e.g. high frequency) cable with a first plurality of insulated conductors having a first conductor gauge (e.g. 28 AWG, though other sizes can be utilized); and a second (e.g. low frequency) cable with a second plurality of insulated conductors having a second, larger conductor gauge (e.g. 24 AWG, though other sizes can be utilized). The characteristics of at least one the first cable and the second cable can be different from above. For example, the characteristics of the first cable and the second cable can be switched with one another.
The cables can be connected together at an output of an amplifier, and can be connected to corresponding low and high frequency inputs of a 2-way speaker (e.g. a woofer and tweeter). The low frequencies can refer to audio frequencies less than approximately 200 Hz. The low frequencies carried by the cable can extend higher, such as 400 Hz, 800 Hz, or 1 kHz or higher, while high frequencies can refer to audio frequencies above this value. Crossover filter networks within the speaker (used to separate out low frequencies for the woofer and high frequencies for the tweeter) can filter the corresponding signals, allowing the cables' different characteristics to correspondingly affect the low and high frequency audio such that the propagation velocity differential is minimized.
Signals can propagate at different velocities in cables at frequencies across the audio band (i.e. between roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz), with propagation velocity (Vp) varying significantly between high frequency and low frequency signals. For example, given a typical zipcord speaker cable, Vp can vary from −110,000,000 m/sec at 20 kHz to −5,000,000 m/sec at 20 Hz, or a factor of 22 times slower across the audio band. The difference in time for signals at different frequencies to propagate down the cable is sometimes referred to as group delay and can result in loss of fidelity.
Audio signals can be in a range from approximately 20 Hz to approximately 20 kHz, representing four orders of magnitude. Cables can have constant Vp at RF, resulting in the impedance being flat at RF. The Vp can change below RF down to direct current (DC), and the change in Vp can impact the impedance. For example, the impedance can go up as the frequency drops. The Vp changes can also impact how signals arrive in the time domain, and how the signals interact with the load impedance at the cable end.
The capacitance values, and the inductance values of a cable can be changed based on the material used in the cable and/or the distance from one wire to another wire. For example, the capacitance of the cable can be adjusted using materials with different characteristics. Similarly, the distance between and/or from another wire can adjust the capacitance and/or the inductance of the cable. The values of capacitance, and inductance along with the change in Vp, across the audio band, can impact and/or vary the sound and/or signal of the cable.
At low frequencies the propagation velocity can be approximated as Vp=sqrt(2ω/RC), with ω=2π*frequency(Hz); while at higher frequencies, the propagation velocity can be approximated as Vp=1/(sqrt(LC)). At high frequencies, the Vp can also be approximated as Vp=1/SQRT(e), where e=dielectric constant. By utilizing two cables, one for low frequencies and one for high frequencies, with different characteristics, the cables can be configured to decrease the rise in impedance at lower frequencies. For example, the Vp can be altered, based on Resistance, and Capacitance characteristics of the cable, for high frequencies, and the change in Vp for high frequencies can decrease the rise in impedance at lower frequencies.
As shown, while the propagation velocity increases for each conductor as the frequency of the signal increases, higher capacitances reduce this effect at high frequencies (with less of an effect at low frequencies).
FIG. 1D is a graph of propagation velocity vs. frequency for conductors with different resistances (e.g. due to different diameters or gauge sizes, with conductors of 24 AWG, 25 AWG, 28 AWG, and 30 AWG illustrated), listed in table 2 below:
As shown, higher resistances (from smaller conductors) result in lower propagation velocities at high frequencies, with less of an effect at low frequencies. As discussed above, the capacitance and resistance both affect propagation velocity, with Vp, at low frequency approximately,=Sqrt(2ω/(R*C)).
Accordingly, a higher resistance cable can be used for higher frequencies in a bi-wire cable system to reduce propagation velocity for high frequencies, while using a lower resistance cable for lower frequencies. Each wire can have a certain resistance value, and a certain number of wires can be placed in parallel resulting in the cable having a predetermined resistance value. For example, the predetermined resistance value, for the cable, can be 10 ohms, and a first wire can have a resistance of 20 ohms, and a second wire can also have a resistance value of 20 ohms. The first wire, and the second wire can be placed in parallel, within the cable, resulting in the resistance of the cabling equaling 10 ohms. The resistance of the cable can be equal to the product of each wires resistances divided by the sum of each wires resistance. For example, the resistance of a cable with two wires can be equal to (resistance of first wire*resistance of second wire)/(resistance of first wire+resistance of second wire).
While the combined curves still show a range of propagation velocities, the difference between 20 Hz and 20 kHz in the illustrated example is a factor of approximately 10:1, half that measured using a single cable. Although shown with 24 and 28 AWG conductors, other sizes can be used (e.g. 20 AWG and 26 AWG, 20 AWG and 28 AWG, or any other such combination with varying propagation velocity curves). Each cable can be constructed from braids of bonded pairs of insulated conductors, and can include a plurality of conductors for each signal polarity or leg.
The bonded pairs can be twisted or untwisted. Each braid can include a single braid (e.g. a 3-strand braid of three bonded pairs of conductors, a 6-strand braid of six bonded pairs of conductors, or any other such number), sometimes referred to as a round braid. For example, cable 102A can include two legs, each including 12-strand braid of bonded pairs of insulated conductors, resulting in 24 conductors per signal leg or 48 conductors total. For 28 AWG conductors, this is equivalent to 7632 circular mil area (CMA), with a resistance of 1.36 Ohms/meter (roughly equivalent to an 11 AWG copper conductor). The BULK cable can have a capacitance of 65 pF/foot and an inductance of 0.080 μH/foot. Conversely, cable 102B can include two legs, each including a 6-strand braid of bonded pairs of insulated conductors, resulting in 12 conductors per signal leg or 24 conductors total. For 24 AWG conductors, this is equivalent to 9600 CMA, or approximately 1.0 Ohms/meter resistance (roughly equivalent to a 10 AWG copper conductor). BULK Cable 102B can have a capacitance of 50 pF/foot and an inductance of 0.080 pH/foot. Propagation velocity for the cable illustrated in
As shown, utilization of cable 102A for high frequencies starting at a crossover point between 300 Hz to 1 kHz (depending on speaker design) results in a significant reduction in Vp at higher frequencies in the audio band relative to cable 102B, and the use of both cables in a bi-wire system results in a reduced differential across the audio band.
The plurality of insulated conductors for each signal leg or polarity act in parallel to reduce overall resistance for the signal, and can be of a relatively high gauge or narrow diameter to utilize the entire skin depth of each conductor and avoid skin effect losses at higher frequencies. The conductors for each signal can be braided such that each conductor crosses others at an angle, which can approach or equal 90 degrees. Because the induced current in a wire due to a magnetic field is proportional to the cosine of the angle between the field direction and wire, as this angle approaches 90 degrees due to the geometry of the braid, the induced current in each conductor approaches 0. Additionally, magnetic fields due to current flow in each pair of conductors can be in opposing directions at positions around the intersection of the conductors and cancel, reducing the net magnetic field. Each conductor can be insulated with a material having a high breakdown voltage, such as fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (such as TEFLON®, manufactured by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) of Wilmington, Del.), allowing very thin insulating walls, decreasing the distance between each conductor in the braid, thereby reducing inductance. Similarly, the insulating material can have a low dielectric constant, thereby reducing capacitance. The weave can also increase the average distance between polarity wires, keeping the capacitance low.
Each leg or polarity within each cable can be separate and parallel, rather than interwoven or braided together, increasing the distance between the two signal conductors, thereby reducing capacitance. Furthermore, because individual conductors within each leg are braided across the diameter of the leg, the average distance between any individual conductor in one leg and any individual conductor in the other leg will be the average distance between the center of each leg. Because the capacitance between the two legs is inversely proportional to their separation, this design can significantly reduce the capacitance of each cable.
Each cable can include a covering and/or shield around both legs, such as one or more of a conductive braid, foil shield, or similar electrostatic interference shielding; an insulating rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) jacket or similar jacket or sheath; and/or nylon or other textile braid, plastic spiral wrap, or similar cover. The covering can provide passive electrostatic interference rejection, as well as structural support to keep the two signal polarity carrying legs together. Similarly, due to the symmetrical and parallel legs, when used for carrying opposite polarities of a signal, external electromagnetic interference can be rejected or canceled. Each cable can be round or substantially round, allowing ease of deployment, superior cable management and durability. The two legs of each cable can be tied or physically held together via textile threads or similar materials woven through gaps between pairs of conductors within each leg. An external covering can be absent.
Although shown in
Referring first to
Each conductor 301 can include copper or oxygen-free copper (i.e. having a level of oxygen of 0.001% or less) or any other suitable material, including Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) copper or silver. Each conductor 301 can be insulated with any type or form of insulation, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) TEFLON®, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), or any other type of insulation. The insulation around each conductor 301 can have a low dielectric constant (e.g. 1-3) relative to air, reducing capacitance between conductors. The insulation can also have a high dielectric strength, such as 400-4000 V/mil, allowing thinner walls to reduce inductance by reducing the distance between the conductors.
As shown in
As shown in
Each conductor 301 of each pair 300 of a leg 304 can carry the same signal or same polarity of a signal, acting in concert as an equivalent conductor with a much lower gauge, reducing total resistance and signal attenuation. For example, with 18 individual conductors 301 (e.g. three braids of three pairs of conductors) of 0.022 inch diameter, the resulting leg 304 has an equivalent circular mil area (CMA) to an 11.5 AWG cable. The number of iterations and/or number of conductors in each braid can be selected to adjust a total resistance or CMA of the cable.
Inductance for the cables is also low. Within each leg, current flowing through each conductor 301 generate magnetic fields that roughly cancel each other, due to the close proximity of the conductors within each pair, and because of the geometry of the braid causing conductors to cross at near-perpendicular angles. Furthermore, because the currents through each leg have opposite polarities and the legs are very close to each other relative to the length of the cable, the resulting net magnetic fields of each leg also roughly cancel each other. This reduces overall inductance beyond typical cables with interwoven conductors of each polarity. The legs 304 can be braided symmetrically as shown to further reduce inductance through mutual cancellation of fields.
Covering 306 can include any type and form of covering for legs 304 and can provide insulation and/or structural support. For example, covering 306 can include a low-cost spiral plastic or similar covering or split tubular wrap to hold legs 304 together. Covering 306 can include a fabric, Kevlar, polyester, nylon or any other material braid or mesh, providing a strong yet soft and flexible sleeve. Covering 306 can include an insulating sheath or jacket, and can include silicon, rubber, thermoplastic, PVC, Teflon, PE, PP, or any combination of these or other materials. For example, covering 306 can include a plenum-rated jacket of low-smoke PVC, fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP), PE or other thermoplastic polyolefins, or other such materials. A textile thread or similar material can be woven through gaps between conductors 301 of legs 304A-304B, tying the legs 304 together. Covering 306 can be absent. Covering 306 or threads for binding or tying legs 304 together can be referred to generally as a securing material for securing the two legs in an adjacent configuration. Legs 304 can be held adjacent to each other, in parallel in the same plane or twisted around each other in a helix or otherwise held in close proximity to achieve cancellation of magnetic fields as discussed above.
The centroids of each leg 304A-304B are both near the center of the cable, with the result that magnetic fields of conductors of leg 304A and leg 304B are approximately of the same strength and opposite direction due to the opposite polarity of the signal carried by each leg, thus providing additional magnetic field cancellation and reducing the total inductance of the cable. Additionally, because the legs are close, induced currents due to external EMI (sometimes also referred to as radio frequency interference or RFI) are near identical in each leg, cancelling each other within the circuit through common-mode rejection and mostly eliminating such interference.
The cable 320 can include a shield 310, which can include a copper or metallic braid, conductive foil shield, or other type of shield to absorb and discharge to ground external electrostatic charges or interference (ESI, sometimes also considered a subset of EMI). A foil shield or similar shield can be too fragile to solder or otherwise connect to a ground connector, the cable can include a conductive drain wire 312 in contact with shield 310. Drain wire 312 can be any type and form of conductor, including solid or stranded copper or silver or other material, and can be of any diameter. As ESI currents are typically small, drain wire 312 can be of relatively high gauge, such as 16, 18, 20 AWG or any other value. Shield 310 and drain wire 312 can be optional and can be absent.
To provide structural support to the cable, one or more non-conductive supports 314 can be placed within the cable 320 and/or between conductors 301. The supports 314 can include nylon, polyester, cotton, or any other type and form of material, and can be used to provide additional tensile strength to the cable, for example to reduce the strain on conductors 301 when pulling the cable through a wall or conduit. Supports 314 can also provide internal structure to keep conductors 301 from moving within the cable, reducing microphonic noise. One or more supports 314 can be placed around each leg 304 or between conductors 301 of a leg and the shield 310 or covering 306. Supports 314 can be of any size and shape, and can be referred to as cable filler elements. Supports 314 can be optional and can be excluded. As discussed above, supports 314 can also be woven through gaps between conductors 301 of each leg 304 and between each leg 304 to tie the legs together.
Although shown with 18 conductors 301 per leg 304, each leg 304 can include only a single subset 302. Each conductor 301 can have a lower gauge than discussed above, depending on the equivalent CMA required for the cable. Such reduced-conductor cables can be lower in cost to manufacture, while still having low capacitance and inductance. Each conductor 301 can have a high gauge, reducing the overall size of the cable. The cables can be terminated with ¼″ tip-sleeve (TS) or tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) connectors; RCA connectors; XLR connectors; or any other type and form of connector; or can be left unterminated, or pre-stripped and/or tinned for soldering. Additionally, although discussed with two legs carrying opposite polarities of a signal, the cable can include multiple pairs of legs to transmit a number of distinct signals.
As described herein, a change of impedance can exists across the frequency spectrum between the two cables. As shown, utilization of the high frequency cable 102A and/or the low frequency cable 102B can decrease the swept impedance of the bi-wire audio system across the audio band in relation to both the swept impedance of the zipcord cable, and the swept impedance of the star quad cable. Additionally,
As shown, in
As shown, utilizing the high frequency cable 102A for frequencies within the high frequency range can have a lower propagation velocity in relation to the propagation velocities of the low frequency cable 102B. Additionally, the high frequency cable 102A can also have a lower and/or delayed propagation velocity linearity. For example, the graph illustrated in
Similar to the change in impedance for the audio system along the radio band, a change in resistance can also exists across the radio band for cables. As shown, utilization of the high frequency cable 102A and/or the low frequency cable 102B can limit the swept resistance of the bi-wire audio system across the audio band in relation to both the swept resistance of the typical zipcord cable, and the swept resistance of the star quad cable. Additionally,
As shown, in
In ACT 1010, a second plurality of insulated conductors can be disposed. The second plurality of insulated conductors can be disposed within a second cable. For example, the second pair of insulated conductors can be disposed within the cable 102B. The second plurality of insulated conductors can be disposed within the cable 102B by at least one of placing, positioning, moving and/or locating the second plurality of insulated conductors within the cable 102B. Each of the second plurality of insulated conductors can have a second diameter. The second cable can be connected to a low frequency input of a speaker. For example, the second cable can be the low frequency cable 102B and the second cable can be connected to the low frequency input of the speaker 104. The second diameter of each of the second plurality of insulated conductors can be larger than the first diameter of each conductor of the first plurality of insulated conductors
Accordingly, the cables and manufacturing techniques described herein provide low capacitance, low inductance cables with different resistances for normalization or flattening of propagation velocity across the audio band when used in a bi-wire system, with round cross-sections for durability and improved common-mode EMI rejection. Capacitance in each cable is reduced via separation of the average positions of conductors in legs carrying single-polarity signals, while inductance is reduced due to magnetic field cancellations from both close spacing and geometry of conductors within each leg and close spacing and geometries of the legs in each cable. The cable can be used for speakers, instruments, microphones, or other signals, and can include both the braid of braided subunits illustrated in
Although primarily discussed in connection with bi-wire systems with a single amplifier, the cable system discussed herein can also be used with bi-amp systems with a separate amplifier for each cable (e.g. one amplifier and cable connected to a low frequency driver, and a second amplifier and cable connected to a high frequency driver).
The above description in conjunction with the above-reference drawings sets forth a variety of embodiments for exemplary purposes, which are in no way intended to limit the scope of the described methods or systems. Those having skill in the relevant art can modify the described methods and systems in various ways without departing from the broadest scope of the described methods and systems. Thus, the scope of the methods and systems described herein should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments and should be defined in accordance with the accompanying claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/295,082 filed Dec. 30, 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63295082 | Dec 2021 | US |