Newbie question on speakers (1 Viewer)

[Kevin_F]

I am just starting to get the hang about speakers but still have more questions. I know that the lower frequency in a speakers specs have to do with the bass response that the speaker can achieve, but what does bipole and dipole mean?

 

[Dean_S]

Here's my understanding of these terms:
Bipole is a speaker that has drivers on two faces of the cabinet. These are typically used as surrounds for pro-logic (matrixed) but many use them for DD and DTS (discrete). I prefer monopoles for discrete surround. Some bipoles are for mains, like the def techs with a rear firing tweeter (I hate speakers like this b/c I think they are not natural sounding and screw up the soundstage by producing a false effect.
Dipole is a speaker with no "box" just a front baffle and open rear. It's not the same thing as an infinite baffle from a speaker designers point of view, but to the casual observer these would look like an infinite baffle speaker.

 

[Kevin_F]

If a surround speaker is triangular in shape, what would that be considered?

 

[MikeDuke]

check out this site. It has good Defs
http://www.audiovideo101.com/dictionary/default.asp

 

[MikeDuke]

http://www.audiovideo101.com/diction...c-response.asp


this site has good defs. Just goto the letters on the right.

 

[AlbertD]

A triangular shaped speaker "usually" denotes a quad/pole speaker. If you look closly there, usually, will be speakers firing off in angled directions (around 30/45 degrees) and two speakers firing up and down. So you have four speakers.

 

[Kevin_F]

Thanks for your help guys, that dictionary is just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Dean_S]

I'll add. Bipolar speakers are common and many are the trianglular shape you asked about. I can only think of one Dipole speaker off the top of my head that I'm sure is currently in production (Gilmore Audio) and only know of two brands total (I'm sure there are many more but you just don't find them too often).

 

[Kevin_F]

I am currently thinking of Infinity speakers and their surrounds are the triangular shaped, I am not sure if they are bipole or dipole, but from what I understand they will give the best surround because of the triangular shape.

 

[SethH]

This is not necessarily true. For movies I think people on this forum are about 50/50 for bipole/dipole or direct radiating ("normal"). If you want to do multi-channel music (SACD or DVD-A) then most prefer direct radiating. One does not necessarily sound better, but does produce a different effect for the listener.

 

[Kevin_F]

Thanks Seth, the surrounds that I intend to get have a switch that will let me switch between bipole, dipole and monopole, so I will test all 3 and see which sounds best.

 

[AlbertD]

I "believe" that the speaker enclosures for direct radiating speakers usually are constructed very differently than bipole speakers. So simply having a switch might not be a true test of how one sounds over another. But I may be wrong.

 

[Kevin_F]

The switch is on the speaker and lets you alternate between each sound