Theory 009/Acoustics & Vibration
Distortion Follows Breakup Density
The claim
Loudspeaker distortion is set by the density of diaphragm breakup modes rather than by the first breakup frequency, so a lower first mode with dense modes above can sound cleaner.
01The mechanism
Distortion arises from intermodulation between modes; dense modes distribute energy while a sparse set produces audible peaks.
02Predictions
- P1Distortion should track mode density.
- P2Lowering the first mode without densifying should worsen it.
03Refutation
Distortion tracking the first breakup frequency would favour the simple account.