Tone Tubby Hempcone Speakers for Musicians
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 07.18.06
What's the difference between the Hempcone and a paper cone? Well fortunately that is one the questions asked, and answered, by the Brown Soun Inc. website. They aren’t using hemp for their speaker paper because it is green, but rather because it simply does the job better. “Basically the Hempcone just produces more frequencies then you have ever heard out of a paper cone. It has more bass response, better mids and a sweeter high range unlike a paper cone's shrill highs and lack of true bass response. There is no cone cry or ghost notes with the Hempcone. The Hempcone also loves power. It increases the 20 watt paper cone Tone Tubby speaker to a 40 watt speaker.” They put this improvement in high frequency and operating bandwidth down to hemp’s greater strength and stiffness compared to paper. Plus they suggest sound passes through hemp faster than tree paper allowing for “more dispersion of acoustical energy.” Uh huh. Just connect up your hempstone guitar and you'll be a'rocking. Apparently these professional grade speakers are so well liked that home and car speakers are on the drawing board too. ::Tone Tubby.
Omega Loudspeakers is using Tone Tubby drivers in their home stereo speakers. Beautiul looking speakers too.
I cry BS. A speakers power rating has nothing to do with the cone. Power handling is purely determined by the electrical wire that causes the base of the cone to move in and out of the magnet pole piece. Why would changing the paper cone effect the amount of electrical current the driver could handle? Given the complexites and science behind drivers, that really makes me wonder about the other claims that at least are fesable. If the paper of the cone is more rigid (or has other favorable mechnaical poperties) and has fewer high frequnecies modes to excite, there might possibly be a performance improvement, but the power handling comment makes me suspicious that we have an audiophile type marketing scam going on here.