A complex speaker edge and asymmetric resonator panel in which the
acoustic vibration damping capacity of the speaker edge varies
longitudinally around the speaker edge. The resonator panel has an aspect
ratio of approximately 1.3:1 or more, and is composed of top and bottom
panels held in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of longitudinally
extending ribs extending therebetween. The ribs extend at an angle of
from approximately 5 to 35 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the panel.
The angle is acoustically matched to the complex speaker edge to improve
the accuracy with which said acoustic vibration is reproduced. The
effectiveness of the differential damping capacity of the edge in
improving the quality of sound output from a speaker assembly is
determined by observing the average magnitude of the excursions of the
sound level pressure versus frequency curves for comparable complex and
single speaker edges, particularly in the 200 to 10,000 Hertz range. The
speaker edge and the angle of the ribs are acoustically matched by
iteratively adjusting the edge and/or the angle in response to the
quality of the sound that is perceived by a trained human ear.