Digital speakers, also known as Digital Sound Reconstruction systems, involve loudspeaker technology. These types of speakers are different from modern digital formats and processing because engineers have not yet developed them as a mature technology.
How Digital Speakers Work
This kind of speakers bring the digital signal closer to the transduction process and are capable of transforming electrical signals into air-pressure variations or sound energy. They include a sound generating area with small digital on/off elements. Electromagnetic solenoids or piezo actuators energized them.
Modeling shows that spiral forms can generate the piezo exciter. By arranging the digitally processed signal to a full resolution (16-bit 44/48 kHz PCM), the matrix of elements reconstructs the original acoustic wavefronts in time, frequency, and amplitude. If this happens, the problems of ultrasonic and beat-frequency noise generation increase. For this reason, creators may never commercially release the system.
Micro-machine pumps convert digital signals to sound pressure. They can achieve this by subdividing the voice-coil of a direct radiator driver. When this happens, each element drives digitally and data integration occurs over the complete coil. A split-coil winding the lower half handles the upper half, so the remaining 8 bits operate in the analog domain with the simple DAC.
Intermediate Digital Speaker
An intermediate digital speaker starts with an analog or conventional one with an active design, where the user can choose to place a D/A converter inside the loudspeaker. A digital audio processor can be present and, thus, digitally coded signals can be fed directly to the system. This process prevents loses in intermediate analog control electronics, as well as in inline-level linking cables. A different digital line achieves the control of the signal replay level, so a managing microcomputer is in the speaker.
When used in home systems, it would be ideal to have an interface via a hand-held infrared remote control. Remote D/A and A/D converters are the most common. The danger of degradation in the transmission chain decreases if you handle more audio signals in a digitally coded form. This is very typical in digital studio practice.
Looking for other options?
Digital speakers are quite large for the number of bits required for high-quality sound reproduction. If this isn’t for you, you can check out rotary woofers and see if they suit your needs!
