Advanced Speaker Research from India
No Listening Fatigue
Technology > Lithos Design & Engineering
The music signal consists of a stream of sound waves reaching the human ear. These waves are uniquely related to each other and carry information, which can be scientifically categorized, as amplitude (the level of each wave), transients (the accurate starting and stopping of amplitude), harmonics (the relative difference in amplitude) and timing (the time based relation between amplitude, transients and harmonics). All this information must be faithfully preserved and accurately reproduced so that you can enjoy a satisfying and stimulating musical experience.
At every step in the design stage, Lithos considers all these characteristics so that you can hear more of the music.
Crossover Design
The crossover network is the heart of the speaker and will mostly dictate the sonic character of the speaker. Lithos crossovers do not just send different signals to different drivers (midrange, tweeter). The crossovers match the levels of each driver so that all drivers have the same output, thus maintaining a uniform and flat frequency response. The voice coil of a dynamic driver has a rise and fall in impedance that causes unequal power delivery from the amplifier. Lithos crossovers compensate for this effect with elements that maintain a flat impedance curve for all drivers. This also helps in eliminating the harshness and distortion present in the upper midrange spectrum in lesser speakers.
Bass frequencies are non-directional. They travel from the speaker forward and behind the cabinet. The higher frequencies travel only forward. Thus there is an imbalance in the sound levels at the listening position (the higher frequencies are more at the listening position). This explains why most speakers have a poor bass response that can only be compensated for by amplifier bass boost. Lithos solves this major problem by accurately calculating these diffracting frequencies and by employing a complex response shaping circuitry equivalent to a reverse 6dB/Oct roll off. This provides a uniform full frequency spectrum at the listening position. No bass boost is required, thus preventing distortion and compression.
Lithos crossovers are typically, flat frequency response group of crossovers used for their characteristics of flat magnitude response and low sensitivity to driver offset. These crossover design techniques provide for a smoother sound and a seamless transition between drivers, while also preserving both the amplitude and harmonic information of the sound signal.
Time Alignment
Music signals are such that more than one driver (midrange, tweeter) is required to reproduce the same information (amplitude and harmonic). In order to accurately convey this information, the sound from different drivers should reach you at the same time. In conventional speaker systems, the sound reaches the human ear from different drivers at different times (nearly 300 microseconds in typical cases), thus blurring the timing and transient information of the sound wave. The sound of typical speakers is muffled and lacks detail. By sloping the baffle backwards to the correct position (over correction would have the same problems as above), by placing the drivers as close as is physically possible, all Lithos drivers are accurately time-aligned for a faster, more coherent sound with better transient response. All Lithos cabinets and driver arrangements also closely duplicate a vertical in-line point source, a must for audiophile quality imaging.
Cabinet Design
Lithos home audio speakers are designed to have at least one non-parallel side. Bracing panels are placed along the walls of the cabinets not only to damp typical cabinet structures but also to prevent resonance coupling. These cabinets are designed to be rigid and stiff, effectively preventing standing waves and vibrations. A stiff cabinet also prevents low frequency resonance, thus minimizing energy storage effects (where the cabinet vibrates in resonance with the drivers and radiates this vibration as delayed sound energy). Thus sound reaches you free off cabinet colorations and you hear music without any bass boom and midrange 'echo', typical in a conventionally designed cabinet.
Cabinet size calculation is mostly for bass response. Conventional cabinet and bass design uses big diameter woofers in predetermined cabinet sizes to achieve bass. However, since these predetermined sizes never yield useful bass alignments, bass always sounds incorrect. Some designers compensate for this by filling the volume space inside the cabinet with sound absorbing material. But this is wasteful of bass efficiency, causing reduced bass, which can only be compensated for by amplifier bass boost. This results in distortion and reduced power handling, typical of lesser speakers. At Lithos, bass alignments are so accurately designed that even temperature changes at high power levels are taken into account. Tuning is done to within +/-2.5Hz of desired tuning. Accurate calculation of volume takes into account every physical element in the cabinet. This always results in useful bass alignments where roll off is smooth and bass is extended. There is no need for damping material to compensate for boomy bass and Lithos speakers give bass that is fast and detailed. By combining intelligent cabinet and crossover designs, better bass is achieved by Lithos from smaller drivers and slim, sleek cabinets, which often takes even the most knowledgeable audiophile by surprise!
Lithos manufacturing
Obviously, building and making sure that Lithos speakers perform as per their designs is as important as the design itself. The highest grade of components is specified wherever required. Metallised polyester capacitors, Drum Core inductors and inductance free resistors are used. Each and every electrical component is tested for quality conformance. Crossover networks are tested individually and matched networks are paired to similar drivers and assembled as a stereo pair. All cabinet designs are done using advanced 3D computer modeling for complete structural integrity and are manufactured on precision woodworking lines under expert engineering supervision, equivalent to the best available - anywhere in the world. Finally, every speaker is tested with full bandwidth test signals (on digital testing and measuring equipment) and music so that you get and hear exactly the same sound that Lithos speakers were originally specified and designed for.
