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The "rear wave" refers to the sound waves generated by the backside of the diaphragm of the loudspeaker driver. When the driver's voice coil moves back and forth in response to the electrical signal from the amplifier, it causes the diaphragm (cone or dome) to vibrate and produce sound waves both in front and behind the driver. The front wave is the sound that radiates forward and interacts directly with the listener, creating the desired sound output. However, the rear wave, being radiated backward, can interact with the surrounding surfaces and contribute to several important aspects of loudspeaker design and performance:
- Enclosure Design: The rear wave's interaction with the loudspeaker enclosure affects the overall system behavior, including the system's acoustic impedance and resonances.
- Phase and Time Alignment: The phase relationship between the front and rear waves is crucial for achieving proper time alignment. Time alignment ensures that both waves reach the listener's ears simultaneously, minimizing phase cancellations and improving sound coherence.
- Baffle Step Compensation: When the front wave radiates sound into free space, it experiences a baffle step loss, which is a dip in the frequency response at lower frequencies. The rear wave can partially compensate for this loss by interacting with the baffle, providing some degree of acoustic loading and enhancing the low-frequency response.
- Radiation Pattern: The rear wave's interaction with the loudspeaker's baffle and enclosure can influence the overall radiation pattern and directivity of the loudspeaker, affecting the sound dispersion and coverage in the listening space.
- Open Baffle Designs: In open baffle loudspeakers, the rear wave is intentionally used as part of the acoustic output. These designs rely on the rear wave interacting with the open space behind the baffle to create a dipole radiation pattern, which can provide unique sonic characteristics.
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