{"id":237724,"date":"2021-04-28T21:51:10","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T18:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/"},"modified":"2021-04-28T21:51:10","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T18:51:10","slug":"what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"#What does a speaker\u2019s \u2018waveguide\u2019 do, and why does it matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3e70df2fdfb\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3e70df2fdfb\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/#Why_would_waveguides_guide_waves\" >Why would waveguides guide waves?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/#What_does_good_directivity_look_like\" >What does good directivity look like?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/#So_how_does_a_waveguide_help_create_smooth_directivity\" >So how does a waveguide help create smooth directivity?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/#Is_that_all_a_waveguide_does_%E2%80%94_smoothing_over_the_crossover\" >Is that all a waveguide does \u2014 smoothing over the crossover?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-does-a-speakers-waveguide-do-and-why-does-it-matter\/#So_are_speakers_with_waveguides_always_better\" >So are speakers with waveguides always better?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#What does a speaker\u2019s \u2018waveguide\u2019 do, and why does it matter?<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>If you\u2019re in the market for a new set of hi-fi\u00a0speakers or studio monitors, you might have come across the term \u2018waveguide\u2019 before. You might\u2019ve seen a photo or illustration in marketing materials pointing to a fancy trim ring or horn-looking-thing around a speaker\u2019s tweeter, as in the header image above. Sometimes a waveguide is even directly integrated into the speaker\u2019s cabinet design itself.<\/p>\n<p>This is more than just an aesthetic frivolity. You might\u2019ve used your big brain to surmise that a waveguide has something to do with \u2018guiding\u2019 the sound \u2018waves.\u2019 If so, congratulations \u2014 you\u2019re a smarty pants. But why, exactly, do you want to guide sound waves?<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_would_waveguides_guide_waves\"><\/span>Why would waveguides guide waves?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>, a speaker designer will use a waveguide to improve the integration between the different drivers on a speaker \u2014 to help the sound of a tweeter better match the sound of a woofer.<\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019ve probably noticed \u2014 but perhaps never thought much about \u2014 woofers and tweeters are usually different sizes (and shapes and materials). That\u2019s because different designs are better suited to handling certain frequency ranges, with the tweeter almost always being smaller than the woofer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1324481 lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6-280x158.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6-479x270.jpg 479w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6-796x448.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6-1592x897.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/JBL-L82-Classic-3-of-6-1200x675.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>The tricky part then becomes the handoff from one driver to the other.\u00a0The chosen frequency range for this handoff is called \u2018crossover,\u2019 but it\u2019s not a perfect cutoff.<\/p>\n<p>Rather, there\u2019s a gradual transition from one driver to the other, and in a good speaker, you want this transition to be as smooth as possible. Typical crossovers for bookshelf speakers with one woofer and one tweeter are centered\u00a0somewhere in the higher midrange, between 1 and 4 kHz.<\/p>\n<p>Things are then further complicated by the fact that woofers and tweeters\u00a0don\u2019t just radiate sound in a single direction. It\u2019s one thing to smooth the crossover region in the forward direction \u2014 the speaker\u2019s \u2018on-axis\u2019 response. It\u2019s a lot more difficult to smooth it out in <em>all<\/em> directions, as each driver will radiate sound differently depending on the frequency. Rarely does a speaker get it perfect.<\/p>\n<p>This relationship between a speaker\u2019s direct and \u2018off-axis\u2019 sound is called a speaker\u2019s \u2018directivity.\u2019 Having smooth directivity helps create a strong soundstage and maintain even tonality when speakers are placed in a room.\u00a0Which, you know, is most of them.<\/p>\n<p>Directivity matters because we don\u2019t just hear sound in a line of sight from the speakers to our ears; the sound that reflects off our walls makes a huge perceptual contribution. So in the best speakers \u2014 those with the most realistic soundstage and most even tonality \u2014 the reflected sound will be similar in character to the direct sound.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1318608 lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"859\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6-280x147.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6-515x270.jpg 515w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6-258x135.jpg 258w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6-796x417.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/09\/Buchardt-A500-5-of-6-1592x834.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that while <em>horizontal<\/em> directivity affects both soundstage and tonality, vertical directivity mostly affects tonality. (Our ears are on the sides of our heads, after all, not on our scalp and chin. Thank god.) As such, most speakers will optimize for horizontal directivity while compromising on the vertical; even the best speakers rarely perform perfectly on both fronts.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_good_directivity_look_like\"><\/span>What does good directivity look like?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A picture is worth a thousand words, so the frequency response graph below shows what a theoretical speaker with \u2018good\u2019 directivity might look like at 0\u00ba (the direct sound) and 60\u00ba off-axis horizontally (what might be reflecting off your walls).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1348803 lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1095\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44-280x187.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44-404x270.png 404w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44-202x135.png 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44-796x531.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_85c3c44-1592x1063.png 1592w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>The sound gets quieter off-axis and tilts down a bit, but you can see the line maintains the same overall shape (I drew these curves with my touchscreen\u00a0so no real speaker actually looks quite this smooth).<\/p>\n<p>In an actual great\u00a0speaker like the\u00a0Neumann KH80 (which does have a waveguide), you can see how for the most part, the response changes gradually as you move further off-axis:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1348804 size-full lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/kh80-horizontal-new.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"591\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/kh80-horizontal-new.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/kh80-horizontal-new-280x138.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/kh80-horizontal-new-540x266.png 540w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/kh80-horizontal-new-270x133.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/kh80-horizontal-new-796x392.png 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F04%2F28%2Fwhat-the-heck-is-a-waveguide%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: How the Neumann KH80\u2019s response changes at 15\u00ba intervals off-axis\" data-title=\"Share How the Neumann KH80\u2019s response changes at 15\u00ba intervals off-axis on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share How the Neumann KH80\u2019s response changes at 15\u00ba intervals off-axis on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>How the Neumann KH80\u2019s response changes at 15\u00ba intervals off-axis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a good speaker like this, you can\u2019t really see where the crossover is in the horizontal off-axis data \u2014 there\u2019s no discontinuity between the woofer and tweeter.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s look at our theoretical speaker again, but this time imagine it has bad horizontal directivity:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1348805 lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1100\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681.png 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681-280x188.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681-403x270.png 403w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681-201x135.png 201w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681-796x534.png 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/Snag_86c7681-1592x1068.png 1592w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>(You don\u2019t usually see speakers quite this bad nowadays, but I <em>have<\/em> seen them.)<\/p>\n<p>Even though it maintains a fairly linear direct sound, you can see a large dip at the crossover. This means the sound that reflects off your walls will be dissimilar to the direct sound. Your poor brain gets confused, and the speaker just doesn\u2019t sound as good as it could. The soundstage will be fuzzier, and there\u2019s a good chance the speaker will sound recessed in the midrange.<\/p>\n<p>Reflections not matching the direct sound is the acoustic equivalent of taking a bite into a delicious pizza only to be met with bit of a funky aftertaste. No matter how good that initial bite is, it\u2019s going to sour the overall experience.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_how_does_a_waveguide_help_create_smooth_directivity\"><\/span>So how does a waveguide help create smooth directivity?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is where the \u2018guide\u2019 part comes in \u2014 the waveguide\u2019s shape will significantly shape the tweeter\u2019s directivity.<\/p>\n<p>Without getting too technical, a good waveguide (not a trivial matter!) is carefully\u00a0designed to make the tweeter\u2019s directivity match the woofer\u00a0around the chosen crossover. This minimizes any anomalies both on and off-axis, although in most cases it cannot totally save the vertical response.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1283291 size-full lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"2187\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-157x210.jpg 157w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-202x270.jpg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-101x135.jpg 101w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-796x1061.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-1592x2123.jpg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-1122x1496.jpg 1122w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-840x1120.jpg 840w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-687x916.jpg 687w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-414x552.jpg 414w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/04\/Dutch-Dutch-8c-1-of-1-354x472.jpg 354w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F04%2F28%2Fwhat-the-heck-is-a-waveguide%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Dutch and Dutch 8cs waveguide is carefully designed for some of the best directivity performance I have seen.\" data-title=\"Share The Dutch and Dutch 8cs waveguide is carefully designed for some of the best directivity performance I have seen. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Dutch and Dutch 8cs waveguide is carefully designed for some of the best directivity performance I have seen. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The Dutch and Dutch 8cs waveguide is carefully designed for some of the best directivity performance I have seen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A waveguide can also allow you to use a lower crossover for the tweeter than you might be able to otherwise. This can help smooth the transition too, as when a woofer is made to play very high frequencies, it has a tendency to \u2018beam,\u2019 or radiate sound more strongly in the forward direction, while tweeters tend to be omnidirectional at the bottom of their range.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_that_all_a_waveguide_does_%E2%80%94_smoothing_over_the_crossover\"><\/span>Is that all a waveguide does \u2014 smoothing over the crossover?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Aside from just smoothing out the crossover region, a waveguide can be used to shape the overall directivity of a speaker to the designer\u2019s intent.<\/p>\n<p>It can be used to narrow or widen directivity in different frequency regions, which will affect both the soundstage and tonality. Some waveguides are also designed to have wider horizontal directivity and narrower vertical directivity, as is the case with the aforementioned Neumann KH80.<\/p>\n<p>A waveguide can also be designed to serve as a \u2018horn,\u2019 which, like a trumpet horn, can help amplify the sound source. In fact, some manufacturers simply prefer to stick to the term horn. Especially if, you know, the waveguide looks like a horn. Its exact properties depend precisely on its shape and the interface with the driver.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_are_speakers_with_waveguides_always_better\"><\/span>So are speakers with waveguides always better?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Waveguides aren\u2019t necessary for good directivity performance. They are an invaluable tool for a speaker designer, and in my experience speakers with waveguides are more likely to have good directivity than those that don\u2019t. Certainly, if the waveguide is well-designed and well-implemented, it is rarely a bad thing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1255362 size-full lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1928\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8-179x210.jpg 179w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8-230x270.jpg 230w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8-115x135.jpg 115w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8-796x936.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2019\/11\/Focal-Chora-806-3-of-8-1592x1872.jpg 1592w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fplugged%2F2021%2F04%2F28%2Fwhat-the-heck-is-a-waveguide%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Focal Chora 806 only has the subtlest of waveguides; most of the directivity control is in the design of the tweeter itself.\" data-title=\"Share The Focal Chora 806 only has the subtlest of waveguides; most of the directivity control is in the design of the tweeter itself. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Focal Chora 806 only has the subtlest of waveguides; most of the directivity control is in the design of the tweeter itself. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The Focal Chora 806 only has the subtlest of waveguides; most of the directivity control is in the design of the tweeter itself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That said, waveguides often narrow directivity in the frequency range largely responsible for the perception of soundstage width. This usually means a more \u2018pinpoint\u2019 soundstage, but may come at the expense of a sense of width, or expansiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Narrower directivity isn\u2019t inherently bad or good, and research into the topic suggests it\u2019s largely a matter of personal preference and how the speaker interacts with a particular room. Despite all the praise I\u2019ve showered on the use of waveguides, I\u2019m often willing to sacrifice some precision for a larger soundstage. Your mileage may vary, and this will depend on the specific recording you\u2019re listening to as well.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1310656 lazyreplaced\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1640\" height=\"859\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5-280x147.jpg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5-515x270.jpg 515w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5-258x135.jpg 258w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5-796x417.jpg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/08\/Amphion-Argon1-3-of-5-1592x834.jpg 1592w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>And of course, the waveguide\u2019s implementation matters. Some waveguides are meant to provide a massive amount of directivity control, while others are only meant to help refine the response a little.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen speakers with waveguides that have poor directivity, and I\u2019ve seen speakers with no or minimal waveguides that display excellent performance. You can achieve smooth directivity in other ways, such as by using an inter<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>ry midrange driver that is smaller than the bass woofer but larger than the tweeter.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of the day, only the data and careful listening can tell you whether the waveguide is doing its job. While I always wish speaker companies would be more open about sharing their speaker measurements, the use of a waveguide at least suggests the engineers were trying to optimize directivity. That\u2019s pretty much always a good thing.<\/p>\n<p><i>Did you know we have a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013<br \/>\n            <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/share.hsforms.com\/1tNyJLC_3RjuVWih9ygK_6A47gef\">and you can subscribe to it right here<\/a>.<br \/>\n            <\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script data-src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=378011798897423&amp;version=v2.6\" id=\"socialSrcFacebook\" type=\"text\/template\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/what-the-heck-is-a-waveguide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What does a speaker\u2019s \u2018waveguide\u2019 do, and why does it matter?&#8221; If you\u2019re in the market for a new set of hi-fi\u00a0speakers or studio monitors, you might have come across the term \u2018waveguide\u2019 before. You might\u2019ve seen a photo or illustration in marketing materials pointing to a fancy trim ring or horn-looking-thing around a speaker\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/plugged?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/JBL-HDI-1600-2-of-3.jpg&signature=815a6af7f8d65c1b48a767877ed0164a","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237724"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237724\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}