Great Sound Made Simple
Bose first set out to make a small, high-quality music system in the early 1970s, but found it impossible with the technology of the time. Big speakers and stacks of components could not easily be combined into a manageable solution.
But our engineers had an idea, and music was the inspiration. A flute, which is able to transform a small breath of air into room-filling sound, is a simple device known as an acoustic waveguide. That means it confines the movement of a sound wave over a desired path.
Applying this concept to a music system was complicated because a single waveguide can only produce a single frequency. (Musicians can change the length of the flute's waveguide to create a variety of notes by positioning their fingers over the holes.)
The challenge was to gain the efficiencies of the waveguide while retaining the ability to produce a range of frequencies.
Every note must be right
Bose engineers realised they could emulate the effect of air vibrating within a flute by mounting a speaker within a tube. This moved air more efficiently within the waveguide, resulting in more sound. By matching the electro-mechanical properties of the loudspeaker to the waveguide, they were able to efficiently produce a wide range of notes.
Additional analysis and measurements showed that the tube could be folded into intricate patterns with no ill effect on sound quality. This meant a waveguide measuring over 1.4m in length could be woven into a small tabletop enclosure, delivering sound with more clarity, depth and lifelike quality than a conventional component stereo system.
Explore for yourself further details of this technology » |
How can a single breath of air fill a room with sound? Quite efficiently, with an acoustic waveguide such as the flute.
The science behind the sound
Room-filling sound from a small enclosure. Acoustic waveguide speaker technology makes it all possible.
Learn more »
An engineer's insight
 One driver. One tube. A symphony of sound.
Learn more »
 Fitting great sound into a small package.
Learn more » |
