Virtualization-Based Mechanical Loudspeaker Protection Using Nonlinear Wave Digital Modeling

Bianchi L. Virtualization-Based Mechanical Loudspeaker Protection Using Nonlinear Wave Digital Modeling. In: Convention Paper. Audio Engineering Society; 2026. Paper 10297. Available from: https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23192

@inproceedings{Bianchi2026_23192,
  author = {Bianchi, Lucio},
  title = {{Virtualization-Based Mechanical Loudspeaker Protection Using Nonlinear Wave Digital Modeling}},
  note = {Paper 10297},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  url = {https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23192}
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Virtualization-Based Mechanical Loudspeaker Protection Using Nonlinear Wave Digital Modeling
AU  - Bianchi, Lucio
M1  - Paper 10297
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/28
UR  - https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23192
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Mechanical overload remains a key limitation in high-output loudspeaker operation, particularly at low frequencies. This paper presents a virtualization-based framework for mechanical loudspeaker protection, formulated within a nonlinear wave digital loudspeaker model and realized using a directinversedirect architecture. Protection is achieved by shaping the nonlinear suspension compliance of a virtual loudspeaker as a function of coil excursion, thereby embedding the protection mechanism directly within the loudspeaker dynamics rather than relying on external limiters. Simulation results with low-frequency sinusoids and sine bursts show continuous enforcement of an admissible excursion range, preservation of low-frequency output near the excursion limit, and stable behaviour without explicit limiting. The proposed approach provides a physically interpretable and numerically robust basis for mechanical loudspeaker protection.
ER  -