The anatomy of an amazing car subwoofer
A closer look at Alpine's Type-R
What makes a great subwoofer sound so good? For Alpine, it's the blend of high-quality materials and acute attention to detail in design. Each part works in harmony to play your music loudly and clearly.
Take Alpine's Type-R subwoofers, for example. They utilize six patented (two pending) innovations in the technology of creating bass to bring you some of the loudest, cleanest-sounding, and longest-living subs in their class. It's not just the up-to-date materials of the individual pieces — it's also the way they're put together, and even their very shapes, that contribute to the production of superior sound.
We've highlighted some of the Type-R's finest features in the cutaway drawing below. Click on the numbers to read more.
HAMR surround
A HAMR surround unfolds as it straightens, so the cone can move to a very high position. This is called its maximum safe excursion point, or its "x-max."
Ordinary surround
A normal curved surround resists straightening then pops suddenly to a stop, putting stress at its attachment points. The HAMR shape reduces that stress by moving more smoothly as it folds and unfolds.
Meet Buck Pomerantz
I belong to a culture of fine sights and sounds, and I like spreading the word.
I've been tinkering with electronics ever since I was a kid - starting with taking apart and putting back together televisions and radios. I always got them back together again and working. I took courses in radio and electronics as a teenager, and became a ham radio operator. I worked in my high school's stage crew, running sound, lights, and a movie projector. After college, I joined a rock 'n roll band as the soundman and learned how to lug around and operate the gear that helps make music sound good and loud.
Working in a music store in Austin, Texas, I spent a few years manufacturing, installing, repairing, and operating sound systems. Our customers were recording studios, nightclubs, and touring bands. Eventually I moved back to Charlottesville, Virginia and opened a small demo recording studio. In 2006, I finally came to my senses and got this job at Crutchfield. They actually pay me to ramble on, rant, and explain the things I love about music, electronics, and getting good sound.
Given my background, they put me to work writing about some of the most complex electronic products Crutchfield sells: car amplifiers, digital signal processors, wiring, professional sound mixers, and PA systems.
More about Buck
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