Terry Olson (no relation) is the organizer of the competition and described how it's run. Briefly, speakers are blind auditioned one at a time, behind a screen, by judges with a score sheet. All must use the same "club" amp and CD source material, and are level matched with an analyzer. Categories are defined by cost and whether a kit or DIY.

Dana is currently semi-retired, consulting on new touch screen technology. He has BS and MS degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from U of W, worked at Boeing on design software, windshear detection, and fly by wire on the Boeing 777, and at Physio Control (Medtronic) in firmware, digital signal processing, ECG measurement signal processing filters, and product development. He's also been a Sr. application engineering manager for capacitance touch screen sensing, and architect for large touch screen and noise rejection systems.

Dana went into elaborate detail to describe his design process for his speaker systems. He spoke about driver parameters, testing and selection, modeling of enclosure characteristics, baffle diffraction and crossover design. He chose to make a 3-way system, with a single 12-inch subwoofer, 7-inch midrange, and a line array of 4 tweeters. Several commonly available software programs aided in design, and some ordinary materials went into the construction, including birch plywood, steel pipe, plastic pipe, a 25 pound barbell, and mattress foam. He figures the parts cost $1200.

During a break, door prizes were awarded as usual.

• Courtesy Steve Macatee:
  • Syn-Aud-Con coffee mugs: Joe Grisso and Jayney Wallick
  • Rane 3-ring Binder: Ken Lorenzen
• Courtesy Gary Louie
  • AEA swag bag: Ed Gruse
  • AES Convention bag, with 141st Dailies, Voice Coil magazine, Genelec bag: Jeff Thompson
• Courtesy Rick Rodriguez
  • Amprobe DMM: Rick Smargiassi