
CDP – Catenary Dome Profile
The diaphragm is a critical factor in loudspeaker performance. As it moves, it flexes, potentially creating the tinny, metallic resonance known as break-up. It’s possible to reduce this effect by damping, but it’s always a compromise. So, as engineers, we figured: instead of spending time and adding complexity trying to correct it, why not eliminate the problem altogether?
Our first advance was to apply a discovery made by designer Laurence Dickie more than 20 years ago. Adding a ring of high-modulus carbon fibre around the edge of the anodised aluminium alloy dome adds stiffness, and pushes break-up frequencies significantly higher. The real breakthrough came when we combined this technique with a reoptimized dome profile. Using finite element analysis (FEA) we discovered that a catenary curve – the shape naturally described by a length of chain suspended between two points – takes first break-up modes almost one octave higher than in a conventional spherical dome. This near-doubling in performance guarantees an unrivalled purity of sound, particularly in the crucial midrange band. We use this unique, patented dome profile in all Vivid Audio upper-mid and high frequency drivers.