Thin speaker offers 'crisp sound' (BBC)

[Drew Wilson]

Anyone who has struggled to understand speaker announcements at train stations will be heartened by work initially done at Warwick University in the UK.

Engineers claim their new ultra-thin speakers, as well as looking good and being easy to conceal, will also deliver clearer, crisper sound.

The loudspeakers could replace public address systems in passenger terminals and shopping centres.

They could also be used as speaking posters to deliver adverts.

More... (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7976991.stm)

Looks like the BBC still has it! :haha:

[mountain_rage]

Hate to break it to you Drew but as far as I can tell this isn't actually an April fools joke. A lot of people were skeptical of the story, but it appears on various science sites, and the company website does exist. Unless the University, and a list of reputable sources are being duped this is real, and very cool.

[w31n3r]

yeah, it look legit. http://www.warwickaudiotech.com/

if it is, i'm excited even though it'll probably cost an arm plus a few legs.

[Drew Wilson]

The system, dubbed flat, flexible loudspeaker (FFL), started life as a piece of tin foil and some baking paper.

Basic physics demands that when you create sound, you are creating an airwave of specific frequencies that your ears can detect with your ear drum. The substance in question is a piece of tin foil. There's no real physical movement a piece of tinfoil can make on it's own.

[thepuzzler]

I still love my thin speakers from the 60's

Quad Electrostats ESL57. I have never heard a pair to better them.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Quad-ESL-57-ESL57-Electrostatic-Gold-close-match-late_W0QQitemZ130293561194QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Co nsumer_VintageAudio_RL?hash=item130293561194&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18

Shame the UK don't manufacture anything anymore. They truly have that 'British Hi-Fi sound'

I'm still blown away everytime I put them on.

Incidentally the BBC sold off a lot of their vintage Quad stuff they use to use in their studios from way back when. Missed out on that, was pretty gutted.

[mountain_rage]

Basic physics demands that when you create sound, you are creating an airwave of specific frequencies that your ears can detect with your ear drum. The substance in question is a piece of tin foil. There's no real physical movement a piece of tinfoil can make on it's own.

Have you even researched the technology? Its not a piece of tin foil, its a composite nano material. Just because something seems simple does not mean its bullshit.

http://www.warwickaudiotech.com/content.php?menu_id=3&page_id=23

The patent

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090016552


Webpages from as far back as 2004 talking about the progress of the company and their tech

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/ventures/news/25_03_04/
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/ventures/news/25_03_04/

[1cooldude]

My first pair of elctrostatics was Boston Acoustics (don't remember the model). The sound was just amazing. This technology has a lot of room for research. :fing02: