Is Phase Linearization of Loudspeaker Crossover Networks Possible by Time Offset and Equalization?

Vanderkooy J, Lipshitz SP. Is Phase Linearization of Loudspeaker Crossover Networks Possible by Time Offset and Equalization? In: AES Convention 70. Audio Engineering Society; 1981. Paper 1857. Available from: https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=11899

@inproceedings{Vanderkooy1981_11899,
  author = {Vanderkooy, John and Lipshitz, Stanley P.},
  title = {{Is Phase Linearization of Loudspeaker Crossover Networks Possible by Time Offset and Equalization?}},
  booktitle = {AES Convention 70},
  note = {Paper 1857},
  year = {1981},
  month = oct,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  url = {https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=11899}
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Is Phase Linearization of Loudspeaker Crossover Networks Possible by Time Offset and Equalization?
AU  - Vanderkooy, John
AU  - Lipshitz, Stanley P.
T2  - AES Convention 70
M1  - Paper 1857
PY  - 1981
DA  - 1981/10/06
UR  - https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=11899
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Conventional loudspeaker crossover networks of slope greater than 6 dB/octave, when properly implemented, result in a loudspeaker system whose acoustic transfer function, although of flat magnitude, has all-pass phase characteristics. The system is thus non-minimum phase, and complicated phase equalization using delay equalizers is required in order to render it linear-phase and so transient-perfect. A number of attempts are currently being made to acoustically align such systems by deliberately either introducing or eliminating time delays between the drivers and using conventional minimum-phase equalization to flatten their overall frequency resonse. It is shown in this paper that no choice of inter-unit time delay can render the system minimum-phase, and hense that minimum-phase equalization cannot make such a system both flat and phase linear.
ER  -