Jag frågade ChatGPT:
Why aluminium instead of copper in a Ribbon loadspeaker?
Aluminum is often used instead of copper in voice coils for Robbin (or ribbon) loudspeakers for several reasons:
1. Weight: Aluminum is significantly lighter than copper. In a loudspeaker, the voice coil is part of the moving assembly. A lighter voice coil reduces the moving mass, allowing for faster and more accurate movement. This results in improved high-frequency response and better transient handling.
2. Thermal Conductivity: Aluminum has good thermal conductivity, which helps dissipate heat generated in the voice coil more efficiently. This is important because excessive heat can lead to thermal compression, where the voice coil’s performance is degraded as it heats up, or even cause damage.
3. Cost: Aluminum is generally less expensive than copper. Using aluminum can reduce manufacturing costs, which can be a factor in mass-produced speakers, especially for high-volume applications like consumer electronics.
4. Electrical Properties: While copper is a better conductor than aluminum, modern speaker designs can compensate for the slightly higher resistance of aluminum by adjusting the design (e.g., using a thicker aluminum wire). This allows aluminum to be used without a significant loss in performance.
Overall, aluminum’s lower weight and cost, combined with its good heat dissipation, make it a suitable choice for loudspeaker voice coils, especially in designs where fast and accurate response is important, like ribbon loudspeakers.
