Servo-controlled speakers v. Conventional speakers

[Marinatall_Ironside]

Hello

 

I have a question which needs some answers. I'll try and frame it as best I can, while setting up a scenario between two speaker designs.

 

Do servo-controlled speakers of average build quality and material selection sound better vs. conventional speakers of exceptional build quality and material selection?

 

Another scenario as well is studio monitors vs. car audio or home audio. Can studio monitors benefit if they had servo-controlled woofers, assuming that the build quality is exceptional, materials used and how they're made being exceptional? Or do they not need that feature if they're made that good?

[Derkoli]

1 hour ago, Jurunce said:

Hello

 

I have a question which needs some answers. I'll try and frame it as best I can, while setting up a scenario between two speaker designs.

 

Do servo-controlled speakers of average build quality and material selection sound better vs. conventional speakers of exceptional build quality and material selection?

 

Another scenario as well is studio monitors vs. car audio or home audio. Can studio monitors benefit if they had servo-controlled woofers, assuming that the build quality is exceptional, materials used and how they're made being exceptional? Or do they not need that feature if they're made that good?

Servo drivers are usually used in subwoofers where great control is needed over a big, heavy driver, and you want accuracy over output, Take Rythmik for example.

 

In a studio enviroment, I don't think I know of servo drivers being used, except if a studio used rythmik subwoofers, or another servo subwoofer. With our studio monitors, we generally do need decent output, especially with main monitors, or mid-field monitoring.

 

Generally, cabinet design and construction quality will make a bigger difference than if a conventional dynamic driver or servo driver is used. So if I had to pick between the two, I would 100% go for the higher quality conventional dynamic driver speaker.

 

I have heard servo subwoofers in a friends setup, and they are amazing. Tight, Controlled, Low decay, but they take some getting used to compared to dynamic drivers. They sound different for definite, But I had to fill my large listening room/studio, so I eventually bought some Genelec subwoofers, but I heavily considered the Rythmik's.

 

I think a subwoofer with something like a 10" dynamic driver comes closer to a 15" servo subwoofer, than a 15" dynamic driver one would, due to the amount of control you can get over the lighter driver.

 

Overall, I think servo drivers would make alot of sense for something like far-field/control room main monitors (such as the Adam Audio S6X), they usually have 10" or 12" bass drivers, and I think servo drivers in place of dynamic drivers would make sense as we generally go for accuracy in the studio world, But we've got speaker design pretty nailed now. Alot of companies actually use all sorts of materials to get the drivers as light as possible, Such as Magico Loudspeakers using carbon fibre for the cones of their woofers/mid-range drivers.