Awards and Recognition

In 1975, D. B. “Don” Keele Jr. was honored with the Publications Award by the Audio Engineering Society (AES).

He earned this recognition specifically for his paper “Low-Frequency Loudspeaker Assessment by Nearfield Sound-Pressure Measurement” (J. Audio Eng. Soc., April 1974).

In the paper, Keele described a technique by which loudspeaker performance—such as frequency response, distortion, and electroacoustic efficiency—can be assessed via near-field acoustic measurements, even in non-anechoic environments.

At the time, the AES Publications Award recognized outstanding technical contributions by authors (often under age 35) to the Society’s journals and conference literature—a mark of early scholarly impact in the field.

Low-Frequency Loudspeaker Assessment by Nearfield Sound-Pressure Measurement” (J. Audio Eng. Soc., April1974)

AES Fellowship Award (1979)
In 1979, D. B. (Don) Keele, Jr. was honored as a Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society. This special recognition celebrated Don’s groundbreaking work in loudspeaker design, especially his innovative research on constant-directivity horns. His ideas and publications not only shaped the way professionals approached sound reinforcement but also influenced how music and audio are enjoyed in homes around the world. The Fellowship reflected both his technical achievements and the respect he earned from peers across the audio community.

Richard C. Heyser Award from TEF/Goldline with image of TEF 10

In 2001, D. B. (“Don”) Keele, Jr. was honored with the Richard C. Heyser TEF Award in recognition of his contributions to loudspeaker measurement techniques.

The TEF (Time-Energy-Frequency) award named after Richard C. Heyser acknowledges outstanding advances or contributions in acoustic measurement and analysis. In Keele’s case, his work in measurement methodology for loudspeakers stood out as particularly influential.

Don “D. B.” Keele, Jr. was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2002

In recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to cinema sound, D.B. “Don” Keele Jr. was honored with a Scientific and Engineering Award (Academy Plaque) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Keele’s pioneering research in loudspeaker design and measurement helped shape modern audio systems used in theaters worldwide, ensuring that audiences experience films with greater clarity, power, and realism. His award highlights a career dedicated to advancing the science and art of sound reproduction.

Nice picture of the Samuel Goldwyn Theater with THX sound system

The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre

In 2011, D. B. “Don” Keele, Jr. was honored with the Beryllium Driver Award for Lifetime Achievement by ALMA (the Association of Loudspeaker Manufacturing and Acoustics, also known as ALTI)

This award recognizes a lifetime of substantial contribution to the loudspeaker (or related) industry altiassoc.org. Keele’s career has been marked by innovations in horn and loudspeaker design—especially his role in developing constant-directivity horns and Bi-radial horn geometries—and by publishing numerous technical papers on loudspeaker systems, measurement techniques, and acoustics.

In receiving this award, Keele was celebrated for his sustained, far-reaching influence on both professional and consumer loudspeaker engineering over many decades.

Up close picture of the Beryllium award from ALMA - The International Loudspeaker Association - The Beryllium Driver Award for Lifetime Achievment - Don Keele - ALMA Winter Symposium and 50th Anniversary January 4, 2011, Las Vegas, NV

Don was honored on October 2, 2016 with the Audio Engineering Society’s Gold Medal

D. B. (Don) Keele, Jr. was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal by the Audio Engineering Society (AES) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of audio engineering. Throughout his career, Keele has been a pioneer in loudspeaker design, measurement techniques, and acoustical innovations. His groundbreaking work on constant-directivity horns, loudspeaker modeling, and system optimization has had a lasting impact on both professional and consumer audio. The AES Gold Medal is the Society’s highest honor, celebrating a lifetime of achievement, and Don Keele’s recognition reflects his profound influence on the science and practice of modern audio.

Patents Awarded

The numerous patents by D. Broadus Keele, Jr. (Don Keele) primarily focus on significant advancements in loudspeaker and acoustic waveguide design, with a dominant theme being the control of sound dispersion or directivity across a wide frequency range. His work is foundational to the concept of constant directivity in acoustic devices. Many of his patents detail the design of specialized horn loudspeakers that utilize complex or composite flare rates—often combining exponential, conical, and rapidly flaring bell sections—to maintain consistent sound beam width in both the horizontal and vertical planes, which was a major improvement over prior exponential horns.

A later, prominent area of his patented work involves loudspeaker arrays,exemplified by technologies like the Constant Beamwidth Transducer (CBT) array. These patents describe systems that use multiple drivers, often arranged in a curved or reflective configuration, to achieve a uniform sound field and constant beamwidth over an even broader range of frequencies. Collectively, his inventions address key challenges in acoustic engineering to provide superior, predictable, and uniform sound coverage, with applications ranging from professional audio systems to high-end consumer products. Please scroll around below to access links to each patent.

Patent Number	Title	Assignee	Date of Patent	Google Patents Link
4,071,112	Horn Loudspeaker (Constant-Directivity Horn)	Electro-Voice Incorporated	Jan. 31, 1978	US4071112A
4,308,932	Loudspeaker Horn (Bi-Radial Constant-Directivity Horn)	JBL Incorporated	Jan. 5, 1982	US4308932A
4,580,655	Defined Coverage Loudspeaker Horn	JBL Incorporated	Apr. 8, 1986	US4580655A
7,316,290	Acoustic lens system	Harman International Industries, Inc.	Jan. 29, 2004	US7316290B2
7,555,081	Digital Filter System (Logarithmic-Time-Spaced FIR Filter)	Harman International Industries, Inc.	Oct. 10, 2005	US7555081B2
7,684,574	Reflective loudspeaker array	Harman International Industries, Inc.	Mar. 8, 2006	US7684574B2
7,826,622	Constant-beamwidth loudspeaker array (CBT Array)	Harman International Industries, Inc.	Nov. 4, 2003	US7826622B2
8,073,156	Vehicle loudspeaker array	Harman International Industries, Inc.	Dec. 6, 2011	US8073156B2
10,805,719	Constant-directivity two way wedge loudspeaker system	PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.	Oct. 13, 2020	US10805719B2

D. B. Keele, Jr. is included in the Audio Engineering Society’s historic “Audio Timeline”, a curated list highlighting key individuals, inventions, and milestones that have shaped the field of audio engineering.

Being featured on the AES timeline carries significant scholarly and professional prestige. The timeline is not a comprehensive or exhaustive record, but rather a selective compendium of breakthroughs deemed influential in the development of audio technology. Keele’s inclusion thus signals that his work—specifically, his pioneering design of constant-directivity high-frequency horns (c.1974) AES —is considered by peers and historians to represent a notable advance in the evolution of audio systems.

In short, Keele’s presence on the AES Audio Timeline positions him among a distinguished set of innovators whose contributions are regarded as historically consequential in the audio engineering community.

AES Audio Timeline

Screenshot of the Audio Engineering Society's Audio Timeline The middle entry:
1974
--D. B. Keele pioneers the design of "constant-directivity" high-frequency horns.
--The Grateful Dead produce the "Wall of Sound" at the San Francisco Cow Palace, incorporating separate systems for vocals, each of the guitars, piano and drums.
--3M introduces Scotch 250 mastering tape with an increase in output level of over 10 dB compared to Scotch 111.
--DuPont introduces chromium dioxide (CrO2) cassette tape.

D.B. (Don) Keele, Jr., was inducted into the NAMM TECnology Hall of Fame in 2021 for his foundational work on the Constant Directivity Horn. His induction recognized this specific advancement in loudspeaker technology—which he conceived and patented in 1975 while at Electro-Voice—that has profoundly shaped and influenced the professional and consumer loudspeaker industries. A Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and a recipient of a 2002 Academy Award for Technical Achievement for his contribution to Constant Directivity loudspeaker systems in cinema, Keele’s relentless innovation in horn design, including subsequent Bi-Radial horns at companies like JBL and Electro-Voice, made him a truly deserving honoree for this prestigious recognition of audio technology pioneers.

NAMM TEC Hall of Fame inductee

Portrait of D.B. "Don" Keele Jr., an expert in loudspeaker technology, wearing glasses and a red tie, smiling at the camera.
A leading authority on loudspeaker technology, D.B. “Don” Keele has done it all, from his dozens of published technical AES papers, to his design work for leading manufacturers — among them Electro-Voice, JBL and Klipsch —an AES board member and even as a journalist, reviewing loudspeakers for Audio magazine. Products he’s contributed to are familiar names to audio pros, such as his work on JBL’s famed Bi-Radial horn series and programming for Crown Techron’s TEF systems.

As a senior designer with Electro-Voice, he conceived and patented the Constant Directivity (CD) loudspeaker horn in 1975. In addressing the issue of beamwidth varying at different frequencies, Keele’s CD horn design employed a hybrid horn with an exponential expansion rate near the throat followed by a conical expansion section and ending with a rapidly flaring flange at the mouth. Even today, some 45 years later, his landmark patent remains a standard design concept throughout the professional loudspeaker industry. In fact, in 2002, Keele was honored with a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for work on Constant Directivity loudspeakers for cinema applications.