Joe Akroyd

Last updated

Joe Akroyd is best known for his work at Royd Loudspeakers Co. Ltd. (commonly known as Royd Audio) a small low volume Hi-Fi loudspeakers manufacturer that was based in Telford, Shropshire, England. Royd Audio was founded in 1980 and finally closed in 2004, when Joe Akroyd retired. [1]

Contents

Before Royd Audio

Prior to starting Royd Audio, Joe Akroyd worked for Goodmans in the early 1960s, where he contributed to the Maxim mini monitor and the Audiom and Axiom bass drivers. In 1970, Joe Akroyd joined Wharfedale, where he was involved in the manufacture and design of the Denton, Linton, Melton, Triton, Doredale loudspeakers. During the mid-1970s Joe Akroyd joined Decca, in their newly reorganized Speaker department. [2] However in 1979, Racal bought Decca, [3] at which point Joe Akroyd left to set up Royd Audio.

Retirement

Joe Akroyd closed Royd Audio in 2004 so as to retire. After two protracted a long failed buy out negotiations, the remaining stock and parts was bought by Phonography, however no more Royd Speakers were built. [1]

Career highlights

The most famous and successful loudspeaker Joe Akroyd made was the Royd Minstrel. Launched in 1993, the Minstrel was a short, compact floor standing speaker, with a stand that angled it back slightly. It featured a side exiting reflex bass port and sold for £230-£300 depending on finish. [4] Royd speakers remain in high demand, with their vintage continually elevating second hand prices.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subwoofer</span> Loudspeaker for low-pitched audio frequencies

A subwoofer is a loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-pitched audio frequencies, known as bass and sub-bass, that are lower in frequency than those which can be (optimally) generated by a woofer. The typical frequency range that is covered by a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below 80 Hz in THX-certified systems. Thus, one or more subwoofers are important for high-quality sound reproduction as they are responsible for the lowest two to three octaves of the ten octaves that are audible. This very low-frequency (VLF) range reproduces the natural fundamental tones of the bass drum, electric bass, double bass, grand piano, contrabassoon, tuba, in addition to thunder, gunshots, explosions, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loudspeaker</span> Converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound

A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. A speaker system, also often simply referred to as a speaker or loudspeaker, comprises one or more such speaker drivers, an enclosure, and electrical connections possibly including a crossover network. The speaker driver can be viewed as a linear motor attached to a diaphragm which couples that motor's movement to motion of air, that is, sound. An audio signal, typically from a microphone, recording, or radio broadcast, is amplified electronically to a power level capable of driving that motor in order to reproduce the sound corresponding to the original unamplified electronic signal. This is thus the opposite function to the microphone; indeed the dynamic speaker driver, by far the most common type, is a linear motor in the same basic configuration as the dynamic microphone which uses such a motor in reverse, as a generator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audiophile</span> High-fidelity sound reproduction enthusiast

An audiophile is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction. An audiophile seeks to reproduce recorded music to achieve high sound quality, typically in a quiet listening space and in a room with good acoustics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electrostatic loudspeaker</span> Sound playback device

An electrostatic loudspeaker (ESL) is a loudspeaker design in which sound is generated by the force exerted on a membrane suspended in an electrostatic field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surround sound</span> System with loudspeakers that surround the listener

Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener. Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to surround sound, theater sound systems commonly had three screen channels of sound that played from three loudspeakers located in front of the audience. Surround sound adds one or more channels from loudspeakers to the side or behind the listener that are able to create the sensation of sound coming from any horizontal direction around the listener.

Bose Corporation is an American manufacturing company that predominantly sells audio equipment. The company was established by Amar Bose in 1964 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts. It is best known for its home audio systems and speakers, noise cancelling headphones, professional audio products and vehicle sound systems. Bose has a reputation for being particularly protective of its patents, trademarks, and brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JBL</span> American audio hardware manufacturer

JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. JBL serves the customer home and professional market. The professional market includes studios, installed/tour/portable sound, music production, DJ, cinema markets. The home market includes high-end home amplification/speakers/headphones as well as high-end car audio. JBL is owned by Harman International, itself a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

Altec Lansing, Inc. is an American audio electronics company founded in 1927. Their primary products are loudspeakers and associated audio electronics for professional, home, automotive and multimedia applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bass reflex</span> Type of loudspeaker enclosure with improved bass performance

A bass reflex system is a type of loudspeaker enclosure that uses a port (hole) or vent cut into the cabinet and a section of tubing or pipe affixed to the port. This port enables the sound from the rear side of the diaphragm to increase the efficiency of the system at low frequencies as compared to a typical sealed- or closed-box loudspeaker or an infinite baffle mounting.

Celestion is a British designer and exporter of professional loudspeakers.

Bowers & Wilkins, commonly known as B&W, is a British company that produces consumer and professional loudspeakers and headphones. The company was founded in 1966 by John Bowers in Worthing, West Sussex, England. In October 2020, it was acquired by Sound United, a holding company who owns several other audio brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quad Electroacoustics</span> British hi-fi company

QUAD Electroacoustics is a British manufacturer of hi-fi equipment, based Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. QUAD is part of the IAG Group, with corporate headquarters located in Shenzhen, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudy Bozak</span> American audio engineer

Rudolph Thomas Bozak (1910–1982) was an audio electronics and acoustics designer and engineer in the field of sound reproduction. His parents were Bohemian Czech immigrants; Rudy was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Bozak studied at Milwaukee School of Engineering; in 1981, the school awarded him an honorary doctorate in engineering. Bozak married Lillian Gilleski; the two had three daughters: Lillian, Mary and Barbara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acoustic Research</span>

Acoustic Research was a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company that manufactured high-end audio equipment. The brand is now owned by VOXX. Acoustic Research was known for the AR-3 series of speaker systems, which used the 12 in (300 mm) acoustic suspension woofer of the AR-1 with newly designed dome mid-range speaker and high-frequency drivers. AR's line of acoustic suspension speakers were the first loudspeakers with relatively flat response, extended bass, wide dispersion, small size, and reasonable cost. The AR Turntable remains a highly sought vinyl record player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loudspeaker enclosure</span> Acoustical component

A loudspeaker enclosure or loudspeaker cabinet is an enclosure in which speaker drivers and associated electronic hardware, such as crossover circuits and, in some cases, power amplifiers, are mounted. Enclosures may range in design from simple, homemade DIY rectangular particleboard boxes to very complex, expensive computer-designed hi-fi cabinets that incorporate composite materials, internal baffles, horns, bass reflex ports and acoustic insulation. Loudspeaker enclosures range in size from small "bookshelf" speaker cabinets with 4-inch (10 cm) woofers and small tweeters designed for listening to music with a hi-fi system in a private home to huge, heavy subwoofer enclosures with multiple 18-inch (46 cm) or even 21-inch (53 cm) speakers in huge enclosures which are designed for use in stadium concert sound reinforcement systems for rock music concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acoustic suspension</span> Loudspeaker cabinet design

Acoustic suspension is a loudspeaker cabinet design that uses one or more loudspeaker drivers mounted in a sealed box. Acoustic suspension systems reduce bass distortion which can be caused by stiff suspensions required on drivers used for open cabinet designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TC Electronic</span> Danish audio equipment manufacturer

TC Electronic is a Danish audio equipment company that designs and imports guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post-production equipment, studio effect processors, and broadcast loudness processors and meters. In August 2015, the company was purchased by Music Group, a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer.

Mordaunt-Short is a British loudspeaker manufacturer. It is currently a subsidiary of Audio Partnership Plc., having been bought from TGI Plc. in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Focal-JMLab</span> French company specializing in audio equipment

Focal-JMlab is a French company that has designing and selling high fidelity audio systems since 1979. Based in Saint-Étienne, the company manufactures loudspeakers for the home, speaker drivers for automobiles, headphones, and professional monitor loudspeakers.

A transmission line loudspeaker is a loudspeaker enclosure design which uses the topology of an acoustic transmission line within the cabinet, compared to the simpler enclosures used by sealed (closed) or ported designs. Instead of reverberating in a fairly simple damped enclosure, sound from the back of the bass speaker is directed into a long damped pathway within the speaker enclosure, which allows far greater control and use of speaker energy and the resulting sound.

References

  1. 1 2 "RoydAudio.org History" . Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  2. "www.Sonance.com.tw Royd" . Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  3. "RigReference.com Racal" . Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  4. "RoydAudio.org Minstrel" . Retrieved 25 April 2012.