JVC has developed what it claims is the "ideal sound source" loudspeaker. Well, almost - the company described its "pulsating sphere" system as "very close" to its goal of creating "a natural, near-perfect sound field".

It's not a true sphere, either. Each speaker is actually a 10cm-diameter dodecahedron containing 11 speaker drivers. Sound coverage is uniform in every direction in range up to 10kHz, varying by less than±1dB, JVC claimed.

To get loudspeaker geeky for a moment, each driver's diaphragm has a Weibull curve shape, which means it's not centred exactly within the pentagons that make up each face of the dodecahedron. However, the entire surface of the pentagon emits sound. The emitters are driven by dual neodymium magnets.

The upshot, said JVC, is the production of a uniform sound wave with a wide, flat frequency range that propagates in every direction. There's no diffraction from an enclosure and no near-range sound-field problems caused by flat sound surfaces. The speakers also lack the "sonic quirks" heard in typical speakers, the company added.

JVC said it will be demoing the pulsating sphere speakers in Japan next week, but there's no indication when any of this acoustic boffinry will make it to market. ®