Hypercube Speakers: The Theory and Practice of Hypersolid Resonator Construction

by Matthew Kennedy, Thomas Weiss

In 1976 I made a cardboard model of a hypercube but taped it together inside-out. When I showed it to my friend, he took one look at it and wondered what it would sound like if used as a loudspeaker enclosure. Using materials at hand, he built one. The results were so encouraging that we applied, and, in November 1980, received U. S Patent #4,231,446 (Resonating Chamber) for this geometry. This was not a mere "design patent" for a novel look -- it was a utility patent. In other words, we claimed that we had discovered a way to improve upon existing technology.

In the years that followed, we built many prototypes, using a variety of wood, plastic, even metal. And we attempted to interest commercial loudspeaker manufacturers in adopting this unique and fascinating and useful geometry. Unfortunately, audio engineering is a mature science, with many experts who feel they know all there is to know about their specialty. The "Not Invented Here" syndrome interfered time and time again with our attempts to make this technology available to the public.

It has been 37 years now since the patent was granted. It has expired and is now public domain. But our determination has not been extinguished. We will now make this discovery available to to the public, who deserve to know what has been kept from them. We tried to be nice. We tried to be respectful. But the time has come to speak.

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2017

About the author

Matthew Kennedy co-invented the hypercube loudspeaker (US patent 4,231,446 11/4/1980) on the way to earning his BS Physics in 1981. After physics graduate school he pursued a career of teaching and doing software development. His work in Active Server Pages has served Sylvan Learning Systems and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.