Ring radiator driver features

1. A speaker apparatus comprising:

a speaker enclosure including a peripheral sound wave exit to emit sound waves peripherally;

a transducer coupled to the speaker enclosure, the transducer comprising a speaker diaphragm having an outer portion coupled to a mounting plate disposed adjacent the peripheral sound wave exit; and

a phase plug that directs sound to the sound wave exit, the phase plug comprising a first portion positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to at least part of the speaker diaphragm and a second portion that extends outwards toward a circumference of the speaker enclosure.

2. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a third portion of the phase plug extends inside a voice coil of the speaker cone.

3. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises an end tapped speaker cone and the phase plug comprises one of a center pole phase plug, a domed center phase plug, and an inverted domed center phase plug.

4. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a center tapped speaker cone and the phase plug comprises a domed center phase plug.

5. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a dome speaker and the phase plug comprises one of an end tap phase plug, a straight center tap phase plug, and a center tap phase plug.

6. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises an end tapped flat speaker and the phase plug comprises a flat phase plug.

7. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a compression ratio of the driver is based on a surface area of the speaker cone divided by a surface area of the peripheral sound wave exit.

8. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker enclosure comprises one of an elliptical shape, a cylindrical shape, a spherical shape and a polygonal shape.

9. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral sound wave exit comprises a ring-shape opening around a perimeter of the speaker enclosure.

10. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more other drivers coupled to the speaker enclosure, wherein the driver comprises a first type of speaker and the one or more other drivers comprise a second type or a third type of speaker.

11. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first type of speaker, the second type of speaker and the third type of speaker each comprise one or more of a tweeter, a midrange and a woofer.

12. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker comprises one of a wired speaker and a wireless speaker.

13. A speaker system comprising:

a speaker enclosure including a first peripheral sound wave exit and a second sound wave exit to emit sound waves peripherally;

a first transducer coupled to the speaker enclosure, the first transducer comprising:

a speaker diaphragm having an outer portion coupled to a mounting plate disposed adjacent the first peripheral sound wave exit; and

a first phase plug that directs sound to the first sound wave exit, the first phase plug comprising a first portion positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to part of the speaker diaphragm and a second portion that extends outwards toward a circumference of the speaker enclosure; and

a second transducer.

14. The speaker system of claim 13 , wherein the second transducer comprises a speaker coupled with a second phase plug.

15. The speaker system of claim 14 , wherein the first phase plug extends inside a voice coil of the speaker diaphragm and the second phase plug extends inside a voice coil of the speaker of the second transducer.

16. The speaker system of claim 14 , wherein the first transducer comprises an end tapped cone speaker and the first phase plug comprises one of a center pole phase plug, a domed center phase plug, and an inverted domed center phase plug.

17. The speaker system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first transducer comprises a center tapped cone speaker and the first phase plug comprises a domed center phase plug; and

the second transducer comprises a dome speaker and the second phase plug comprises one of an end tap phase plug, a straight center tap phase plug, and a center tap phase plug.

18. The speaker system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first transducer comprises an end tapped flat speaker and the first phase plug comprises a flat phase plug;

a compression ratio of the first transducer is based on a surface area of the speaker diaphragm divided by a surface area of the peripheral sound wave exit;

the speaker enclosure comprises one of an elliptical shape, a cylindrical shape, a spherical shape and a polygonal shape; and

the peripheral sound wave exit comprises a ring-shape opening around a perimeter of the speaker enclosure.

19. The speaker system of claim 13 , further comprising one or more other transducers coupled to the speaker enclosure, wherein:

the first transducer comprises a first type of speaker;

the second transducer comprises a second type of speaker; and

the one or more other transducers comprise a third type of speaker.

20. A method comprising:

positioning a peripheral sound wave exit on a speaker enclosure to emit sound waves peripherally;

attaching a transducer to the speaker enclosure, the speaker transducer including a speaker diaphragm having an outer portion coupled to a mounting plate disposed adjacent the peripheral sound wave exit; and

positioning a first portion of a phase plug that directs sound to the sound wave exit substantially parallel and adjacent to at least part of the speaker diaphragm, and a second portion of the phase plug that extends outwards toward a circumference of the speaker enclosure.

21. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion corresponds to an inner region of the phase plug positioned above a center of the speaker diaphragm, and the second portion corresponds to an outer region of the phase plug outside the inner region.

22. The speaker apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the inner region of the phase plug is a circular region, and the outer region of the phase plug is a ring-shaped region.

23. The speaker apparatus of claim 21 , wherein a center of the inner region is aligned with the center of the speaker diaphragm.

24. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the diaphragm have a similar contour.

25. The speaker apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the first portion corresponds to an inner region near a center of the phase plug.

26. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a chargeable battery.

27. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plug-in power component.

28. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface for controlling one or more features of the speaker apparatus.

29. The speaker apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the user interface includes a microphone.

30. The speaker apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the user interface includes a display screen.