Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277

www.elsevier.com/locate/apacoust

Comparison of modal parameters of

loudspeakers in di€erent working conditions
Ewa B. Skrodzka*, Aleksander P. ScecÎk
Institute of Acoustics, A. Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, 61-614 PoznanÂ, Poland

Received 10 May 1999; accepted 30 September 1999

Abstract
The basic subject of this paper are vibrations of a loudspeaker's membrane. Dynamic
behaviours of loudspeakers with an opened and closed basket and with a quasi-conical paper
diaphragm are presented. An electromechanical driving system of a loudspeaker was not
considered. A woofer was either mounted in a closed cabinet or it was freely suspended; a
tweeter (with a closed basket) was investigated as freely suspended. Structural behaviour of
loudspeakers was evaluated by means of an experimental modal analysis technique. A set of
Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) was measured in the experiment and then modal
param-eters (i.e. modal frequencies, modal damping and mode shapes) were extracted.
Structural behaviour of quasi-conical membranes was compared to modes of a frustum of a
cone. An in¯uence of a cabinet on the modal parameters of the woofer is discussed. It was
found that, for the opened basket woofer mounted in the cabinet, the modal frequencies were
changed by the closed enclosure in comparison to the freely suspended woofer. However,
changes in the modal frequencies did not reveal any systematic behaviour. The modal damp-
ing was smaller when the woofer was mounted in the cabinet. For the loudspeaker with the
closed basket, axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric modes were found, showing some dis-
crepancies from the axisymmetric shape of the shell and non-axisymmetric attachment of the
voice coil. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

Modal analysis is an experimental method enabling studies of the dynamic beha-

viour of structures [1±5]. This method describes the dynamics of any vibrating system

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: afa@main.amu.edu.pl (E.B. Skrodzka).

0003-682X/00/$ - see front matter # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S0003-682X(99)00050-X
268 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277

giving natural frequencies and natural damping, as well as deformation patterns

associated with them.
A loudspeaker is an electro-mechano-acoustic transducer converting electric
power by means of its main mechano-acoustic part, a membrane, to an acoustic
output power. The membrane, then, seems to be one of the most important parts of
the loudspeaker. Thus, this paper is concerned with the vibrations of the membrane
of the loudspeaker only. An electromechanical driving system of the loudspeaker is
not considered.
According to well established theory [6], for the loudspeaker in a box its natural
frequencies are greater and the damping is smaller in the low frequency range in
comparison to the freely suspended loudspeaker. This is for loudspeakers with the
open basket only, because for the loudspeaker with the closed basked there is no
in¯uence of an air volume captured in the enclosure. However, for the latter case the
air volume closed in the basket can in¯uence modal parameters.
The main aim of the experiments presented in this paper was to explore and
compare modal parameters of two loudspeakers: a woofer with a quasi-conical
paper membrane and an opened basket, and a tweeter with a quasi-conical paper
membrane, with a paper rim and with a closed basket. For the woofer, two experi-
mental conditions were used, i.e. the woofer was either mounted in a closed cabinet
or freely suspended. More speci®cally, the in¯uence of the cabinet on the modal
parameters was investigated. The tweeter was a Tonsil GDW 5/40/9 (closed basket)
loudspeaker whereas the woofer was a Tonsil GDN 20/40/12 (open basket) loud-
speaker. They were typical loudspeakers and they were taken at random from an
assembly line.

2. Experimental method

The modal parameters of two loudspeakers were evaluated by means of an

experimental modal analysis technique. The method was described in detail by
Skrodzka and ScceÎk [7], therefore only the most crucial details will be given below.
Loudspeakers were excited via the voice-coil to mimic their natural working con-
ditions. A pseudo-random noise (constant input voltage) was an excitation signal.
The response signal was a velocity (measured by means of a laser velocimeter) in a
given measuring point situated on the loudspeakers membrane, the dust cap or the
outer suspension. The direction of the velocity vector was parallel to the main axis
of symmetry of the loudspeaker. Two signals were always measured: the excitation
signal (voltage) and the response signal. Based on these signals, Frequency Response
Functions (FRFs) were calculated for all measuring points.
In the modal analysis, locations and a number of measuring points have to re¯ect
the geometry of the investigated object in the best possible way. Thus, in the case of
the woofer FRFs were measured in 485 points. For the tweeter 287 measuring points
were chosen since the area of its membrane is much smaller. A distribution of the
measuring points on the woofer's membrane and the tweeter's membrane is shown
in Fig. 1.
 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277 269

Fig. 1. A distribution of measuring points on the woofer (a) and the tweeter (b).

In the ®rst part of the experiment the woofer was placed in a typical, closed cabi-
net (its natural working conditions, 25.645.624 cm). In the second part of the
experiment both loudspeakers were freely suspended, i.e. the cabinet was removed.

3. Results of modal analysis

Modal parameters were calculated by means of a program package SMS STAR-

Modal1. An Advanced Curve Fitting (ACF) method for modal parameters estima-
tion was used [8]. The results of the modal analysis are listed in Tables 1±2. For each
modal frequency a value of the percentage of modal damping  [8] is listed there as
well. Moreover, the number and positions of nodal circles and diameters are shown
in a schematic manner.
270 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277

De®nition of the percentage of critical damping comes from a well known equation
of motion for harmonic excitation,
:
mx ‡ cx ‡ kx ˆ Fe j!t …1†

:
where: x is acceleration, x is velocity, x is displacement, F is excitation force, m is
mass, c is damping coecient, k is sti€ness, ! is excitation frequency, j is imaginary
unit. The percentage of damping is de®ned as
c c
ˆ :100% ˆ …2†
2m!0 cc

where: cc is critical damping (a vibrating structure exhibits an exponentially decay-

ing response when excited), !0 is undaped natural frequency.

3.1. Results of modal analysis of the woofer

Table 1 shows the results of the modal analysis of the woofer. In the ®rst column
the mode shapes are given. In the second column the schematic mode shape with an
exact position of a dust cap indicated by a dashed line circle is given. In the third
and fourth columns modal parameters of the woofer mounted in the cabinet are
given. Each panel contains a value of modal frequency and the percentage of the
critical damping. In the ®fth and sixth columns modal parameters of the freely sus-
pended woofer are shown.

3.1.1. The woofer in the cabinet

In order to preserve natural working conditions of the woofer, two tweeters
(middle range and high range) were also mounted in the cabinet (25.64.5624 cm).
However, the excitation signal was delivered to the woofer only. A description of its
vibrational modes is given below. Letter, ``m'' denotes the membrane, letter, ``d''
denotes the dust cap. The ®rst number in brackets describes the number of nodal lines,
while the second one gives the number of nodal circles. A basic resonance of a circular
object is traditionally described as (0,1). Letter ``s'' denotes the outer suspension. No
numbers in brackets for the outer suspension will be used because it was very
dicult to ®nd modal parameters of the outer suspension itself, due to high damp-
ing, limited measuring points and great curvature of the suspension. Therefore, the
letter will be used only to indicate the presence of a mode or relatively great ampli-
tudes of motion of the outer suspension compared to amplitudes of other parts of
the loudspeaker.
Modes of the inner suspension were not measured, because it was impossible
without destroying a part of the diaphragm.

. Mode m(0,1)d(0,1)s Ð at a frequency of 94 Hz, percentage of modal damping is

equal to 32.11%. This is a basic resonance of the membrane, the outer and the inner
suspension and the air captured in the closed enclosure. Their points move in phase.
 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277 271

Table 1
Results of modal analysis of the woofer

Woofer in the cabinet Woofer out of the cabinet

Mode Schematic Modal Modal Modal Modal

shape mode shape frequency (kHz) damping (%) frequency (kHz) damping (%)

0.094 32.11 0.084 44.42

0.588 5.71 0.537 6.38

2.91 4.51 2.95 6.06

3.54 5.26 4.18 6.29

4.48 3.64 4.56 4.71

6.98 3.29 6.19 4.14

. Mode m(0,2)d(0,1)s Ð at a frequency of 588 Hz, percentage of modal damping

is equal to 5.71%. There is one nodal circle on the membrane placed close to
the outer suspension. The phase of the movement inside the nodal circle is
opposite to the phase of the outer part of the membrane. Amplitudes of the
outer suspension are much greater than amplitudes of the membrane. Any
speci®c motion of the dust cap is not observed.
. Mode m(0,3)d(0,1) Ð at a frequency of 2.91 kHz, percentage of modal damp-
ing is equal to 4.51%. There are two nodal circles on the membrane. The outer
part of the membrane moves in phase to its central part. Any speci®c motion of
the dust cap is not observed. Amplitudes of the outer suspension are much
smaller than amplitudes of the membrane.
. Mode m(0,4)d(0,1) Ð at a frequency of 3.54 kHz, percentage of modal damp-
ing is equal to 5.26%. There are three nodal circles on the membrane. The dust
cap moves with a high value of amplitude and its motion is not in phase with a
movement of the surrounding part of the membrane. Amplitudes of the outer
suspension are much smaller than amplitudes of the diaphragm and the dust cap.
272 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277

. Mode m(0,4)d(1,1) Ð at a frequency of 4.48 kHz, percentage of modal damp-

ing is equal to 3.64%. There are three nodal circles on the membrane. The dust
cap moves in antiphase to the surrounding parts of the membrane. One nodal
line can be observed on the dust cap. However, it is not clearly visible. Ampli-
tudes of the dust cap are much greater than those of the membrane. Ampli-
tudes of the outer suspension are very small.
. Mode m(0,4)d(1,2) Ð at a frequency of 6.98 kHz, percentage of modal damp-
ing is equal to 3.29%. There are there nodal circles on the membrane and one
nodal circle and one nodal diameter on the dust cap. As in the previous mode
the greatest amplitudes are observed on the central part of the loudspeaker.
The amplitudes of the outer suspension can be neglected.

3.1.2. The woofer freely suspended

The modal analysis results obtained for the freely suspended woofer are given in
Table 1. Columns 5 and 6 present modal frequencies and modal damping, respec-
tively, which are di€erent from those of the woofer in the cabinet. Since mode
shapes for the woofer were very similar in both cases the actual shapes of the modes
of the freely suspended woofer are not presented.

3.2. Results of modal analysis of the tweeter

The results of the modal analysis of the tweeter are shown in Table 2.

3.2.1. The tweeter freely suspended

Modal analysis results obtained for the freely suspended tweeter are given in Table
2. Letter ``m'' denotes the membrane, letter ``d'' denotes the dust cap, modes of the
outer suspension are indicated by letter ``s'' as it was in the case of the woofer.

. Mode m(0,1)d(0,1) Ð at a frequency of 1.64 kHz, percentage of modal damping is

equal to 8.0%. This is a basic resonance of the membrane, the outer and the
inner suspension and the air captured in the closed basket. All points on the
membrane move in phase. Amplitudes in all points are approximately the same.
. Mode m(2,1)d(1,1) Ð at a frequency of 3.66 kHz, percentage of modal damp-
ing is equal to 1.9%. There are two nodal lines on the membrane and one
nodal line on the dust cap. Any speci®c motion of the outer suspension is not
observed.
. Mode m(2,2)d(1,1)s Ð at a frequency of 6.71 kHz, percentage of modal
damping is equal to 3.1%. There are two nodal lines on the membrane and one
nodal circle. Amplitudes on the dust cap are similar to those on the membrane.
The outer suspension moves in phase to the membrane.
. Mode m(2,3)d(1,1) Ð at a frequency of 7.24 kHz, percentage of modal damp-
ing is equal to 1.8%. There are two nodal circles and two nodal lines on the
membrane. The dust cap moves with high value of amplitude and there is one
nodal line on it. Amplitudes of the outer suspension are much smaller than
amplitudes of the outer part of the diaphragm.
 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277 273

Table 2
Results of modal analysis of the tweeter

Tweeter out of the cabinet

Mode shape Schematic mode shape Modal frequency (kHz) Modal damping (%)

1.64 8.0

3.66 1.9

6.71 3.1

7.24 1.8

8.86 1.9

14.29 1.9

18.33 0.9

. Mode m(0,3)d(0,2) Ð at a frequency of 8.86 kHz, percentage of modal damp-

ing is equal to 1.9%. There are two nodal circles on the membrane. The dust
cap moves in antiphase to the outer parts of the membrane. One nodal circle
can be observed on the dust cap. However, it is not clearly visible. Amplitudes
of the outer suspension are very small.
. Mode m(0,4)d(1,2) Ð at a frequency of 14.29 kHz, percentage of modal
damping is equal to 1.9%. There are three well pronounced nodal circles on
the membrane. On the dust cap there is one nodal circle and one nodal line;
amplitudes on the dust cap reach high values. The outer suspension is almost
calm.
. Mode m(0,4)d(0,3) Ð at a frequency of 18.33 kHz, percentage of modal
damping is equal to 0.9%. There are some nodal circles on the membrane and
two nodal circles on the dust cap. Amplitudes on the dust cap are signi®cantly
higher than those observed on the outer part of the membrane. The amplitudes
of the outer suspension are very small.
274 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277

4. Discussion

Tables 1 and 2 do not show all possible modes of vibration, since in the real
situation the number of possible modes is in®nite in an in®nite frequency range. These
tables contain only the most distinct and the most characteristic vibration patterns.

4.1. Woofer

Mode shapes found for the woofer are similar in both investigated cases. First, at a
low natural frequency the basic resonance appears. Then, for increasing modal fre-
quencies, resonances of the outer suspension and axisymmetric modes of the mem-
brane appear as predicted by Skrodzka [9]. Modal frequencies of the outer suspension
are higher than frequency of the basic resonance and lower than the subsequent
woofer's mode, as was described by Dobrucki [10]. Modes of the outer suspension are
highly damped because the suspension is the least sti€ radiating element of the woo-
fer. Therefore, it is very dicult to extract them from the continuum of woofer's
modes and they are not presented separately but they in¯uence the ®rst mode of the
diaphragm, which can be seen in Table 1. Finally, modes of the dust cap are mainly
visible (they have the highest amplitudes) for higher frequencies.
The main vibrating part of the woofer (the diaphragm) may be regarded as a
nondevelopable (hyperbolical, parabolical, etc.) shell. The dust cap corresponds to a
part of a spherical shell. From data presented by Leissa [11] and Kagawa et al. [12] a
sequence of possible modes of vibration for a frustum of a clamped-free conical
shell, having the small end clamped, can be deduced: for low frequencies antisym-
metric modes with increasing number of nodal lines appear, then modes with a sin-
gle nodal circle and many nodal diameters can be noticed. Then, modes with two
nodal circles and many nodal diameters can be observed, etc. Purely axisymmetric
modes are placed between them.
The majority of modes observed for the woofer, as listed in Table 1, are axisymmetric
with an increasing number of nodal ``circles'' on the membrane. It suggests that the
voice-coil is attached centrally and therefore modes with nodal ``lines'' do not
appear. Quotation marks with ``circles'' and ``lines'' indicate the fact that, due to
material damping, rather ``areas'' than sharp ``lines'' and ``circles'' are observed.
However, for convenience we will use the terms ``lines'' and ``circles''. Thus, if the
observation area is restricted to the loudspeaker's membrane, vibration patterns are
similar to the behaviour of the frustum of the clamped-free conical shell excited
centrally. For higher frequencies, vibrations of the dust cap become more visible.
These vibration patterns are as follows: the deformation pattern with a single nodal
line and the mode with one nodal circle and one nodal line. Thus, modes of the dust
cap are similar to those of a hemisphere described by Leissa [11].
In Table 1 signi®cant di€erences in modal frequency and percentage of modal
damping values are seen for two experimental conditions used for the woofer. Gen-
erally, all modal damping found for the woofer mounted in the cabinet is smaller
than for the freely suspended woofer. Modal frequency of the ®rst and the second
mode of the freely suspended woofer is lower than for the woofer mounted in
 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277 275

the cabinet. Frequencies of the third, fourth and ®fth modes were lower when the
woofer was mounted in the cabinet, but frequency of the sixth mode is higher.
Generally, decreasing in modal frequency at low frequencies and increasing in
modal damping for the freely suspended woofer with the open basket are con-
sequences of the lack of the enclosure, as the enclosure gives quite di€erent working
conditions. For low frequencies the enclosure can be treated as an additional com-
pliant element connected in series to one side of the loudspeaker's membrane.
Therefore, for the woofer in the cabinet, whose resultant compliance is in such a case
smaller than without the cabinet, the natural frequencies of ®rst two modes are
greater in comparison to those measured when the woofer was without the cabinet,
as shown in Table 1. When the woofer was placed in the cabinet, the third, fourth,
and ®fth modal frequencies presented in Table 1 were slightly lower than in the
freely suspended speaker case. However, the sixth modal frequency was higher. It
can be explained by an in¯uence of enclosure resonances. Kagawa et al. [12] showed
that, due to the diaphragm-enclosure coupling, a large number of resonances
appeared. Usually, when modal parameters of the freely suspended loudspeaker with
the open basket are identi®ed, one mode shape corresponds to one modal frequency.
However, when modal parameters are identi®ed for the loudspeaker mounted in the
enclosure, a mode which was a single mode for the freely suspended loudspeaker can
split into as many as three modes of similar shape but at di€erent frequencies. This is a
result of the diaphragm-enclosure coupling. For the investigated woofer, dis-
crepancies in modal frequency were found for both experimental cases, but no modes
of di€erent frequencies and similar shapes were found. This is a result of covering
the walls of the inside with an absorbing material. Such a lining of the walls e€ec-
tively eliminates coupling.
Modal damping is proportional to the square root of the resultant compliance; as the
resultant compliance of the woofer in the cabinet decreases, damping decreases too.
For all woofer's modes presented in Table 1, damping for the woofer mounted in the
cabinet is smaller than those measured when the woofer was freely suspended.

4.2. Tweeter

In Table 2 the results of modal analysis of the tweeter with the paper quasi-conical
membrane, the hemispherical dust cap and the closed basket are given; the tweeter
was freely suspended. The tweeter mounted in the cabinet was not investigated,
because there was no in¯uence of the enclosure on the closed-basket loudspeaker.
The ®rst vibrational pattern is simply the basic resonance, then three mixed modes
(with some nodal lines) of the membrane appear. Then some axisymmetric modes of
the membrane and some modes of the dust cap are visible. So, mode shapes found
for the tweeter's membrane are similar to theoretical modes of a clamped-free
frustum of a cone [11,12], as it was for the woofer. For the dust cap the mode shape
with a single nodal line appears, then the mode shape with a single nodal circle, then
the mode shape with the single nodal line and the single nodal circle and ®nally the
mode shape with two nodal circles. As was shown by Leissa [11], such dynamic
behaviour is typical for a hemisphere. For mode shapes found for the tweeter two
276 E.B. Skrodzka, A.P. ScecÎk / Applied Acoustics 60 (2000) 267±277

properties are characteristic. First, antisymmetric modes of the membrane appearing

at low frequency range indicate that the excitation of the membrane is not axisym-
metric. Second, modes of the outer suspension of the tweeter were not as well pro-
nounced as they were for the woofer. In fact, the tweeter usually does not have a
typical outer suspension made of rubber or foamed plastic. Its rim is typically a part
of the paper membrane, formed in an appropriate shape. Therefore, modes of the
outer suspension of the tweeter follow vibrations of the membrane. Moreover, the
percentage of damping of the basic resonance is not very di€erent in comparison to
other modes. It con®rms previous observation that mode shapes of the rim are not
distinct and independent.

5. Final conclusions

In conclusion it can be stated that:

. Vibration patterns of the quasi-conical loudspeaker membrane are comparable

to mode shapes of a clamped-free frustum of a cone. Mode shapes of the dust
cap resemble modes of the hemisphere. The dynamic behaviour of the loud-
speaker is as if it consisted of two shells.
. Modes of vibration appear in a characteristic sequence: the basic resonance,
modes of the outer suspension, modes of the membrane, modes of the dust
cap. When excitation is not purely axisymmetric, or when the voice-coil is not
attached centrally, mode shapes with an increasing number of nodal lines
appear when the modal frequency increases.
. A cabinet causes changes in modal frequency and decrease in modal damping
in comparison to these parameters estimated for the freely suspended loud-
speaker with an opened basket. For low frequencies, modal frequencies of the
freely suspended woofer are lower than for the same woofer mounted in the
cabinet. For higher frequencies, no systematic in¯uence of the enclosure on modal
frequencies is observed because resonances of the enclosure (lined with the
absorbing material) can decrease as well as they can increase modal frequencies of
the loudspeaker vibrating part.
. The in¯uence of a cabinet on mode shapes is not signi®cant.

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