Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters
Planar magnetic drivers and ribbon tweeters offer many advantages over traditional dynamic speakers. Their large diaphragms require only a small amount of movement (excursion) which allows them to create the same sound as traditional speakers.
They also have dipolar radiation patterns meaning that they radiate equally in front and behind the speaker.
High-Resolution Sound
Planar and ribbon magnetic speakers are known for their ability to produce precise, detailed sound. They are known for their high-quality sound, and revealing subtle nuances in music that other drivers aren't able to reproduce or even reveal.
Ribbon and planar drivers are not just precise, but also provide superior soundstages, which allows them to recreate a vast soundstage with incredible clarity. This makes them a great choice for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts who are looking to enjoy their music to the fullest extent possible.
Planar and ribbon drivers are distinguished by their dipole pattern. This pattern radiates equal amounts of energy front and back in an inverted phase, resulting in an organic soundstage. This, combined with their wide dispersion, makes them ideal for large rooms, where they can fill the room with a a broad and natural soundstage, without causing unnatural reflections off the walls and furniture.
Planar magnetic drivers also have a fast response time, which allows them reproduce transients with more precision and speed than conventional cone drivers. This produces a clear and precise sound, even at very high frequencies.
Planar magnetic drivers are well-known for their low distortion. It is because they don't employ a voice coil, but an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragms move without causing vibrations that can cause unwanted distortion.
Additionally, the distance between the magnets in a planar driver is larger than in a traditional cone speaker. This allows for a higher frequency response and lower distortion at low amplitudes, and still provides good bass performance.
While the benefits of planar magnetic drivers appeal to you but they do have a few limitations that must be thought about. For example, they can be quite expensive and may require more power than other kinds of speakers. They can also be bulky which makes difficult to fit in certain spaces. Finally, they can be sensitive to the sound of the room and require extensive room treatments to ensure the best performance. However, there are solutions to minimize these problems for example, by putting an attenuation resistor (provided with your speakers) in the attenuation position, or using some form of room treatment.
Wide Dispersion
Planar magnetic speakers also create sound by regulating electrical currents that pass through wires that are suspended between magnets. They vibrate a flat surface directly, not using an electrostatic charge. This allows for greater surface area and more precise. This operational principle also allows for the construction of them into smaller, less expensive speakers and headphones than electrostatic models.
In addition to providing a large dispersion, they also provide superior clarity and image of soundstage, especially in the higher frequencies, where they excel. This is a great benefit for audiophiles who enjoy watching music or films on a large screen or in an open space.
Furthermore the planar drivers can produce extremely deep bass as they can be enhanced by boxed woofers that are attached to or separate from the ribbon-like diaphragm. This is different from traditional cone-shaped speakers that feature woofers that are located at the bottom, which are unable to reproduce bass frequencies because of the physical limitations of enclosures for woofers.
A planar driver has a low distortion rate which is directly related to the dimensions and travel of the diaphragm. As a result, the planar speaker can deliver a huge volume of sound with minimal distortion, which is why it can produce such clear and detailed sound.
Dynamic drivers in conventional headphones and speakers typically show significant distortion when they are driven to their maximum limit of excursion. This is why dynamic drivers typically produce a hollow or boomy sound.
Planar magnetic drivers are extremely efficient. They require less energy to drive, which results in a reduced power consumption and environmental impact. Furthermore, their diaphragms typically made of lighter materials than conventional speakers, which in turn reduces the amount of energy needed for them to generate an appropriate sound pressure.
Many audiophiles have heard of planar/ribbon speakers, such as those made by Magnepan Infinity and Apogee Acoustics. However, a new brand is now on the market. New planar loudspeakers by manufacturers like Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for instance, are incorporating the latest advancements in ribbon technology.
Low Distortion
Since planar magnetic speakers do not have a conventional cone or dome shaped diaphragm, they produce extremely low distortion. This is a direct result of their unique design, which eliminates the voice coil inductance that is associated with conventional dynamic speakers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This means that the diaphragm is never being out of phase with its surroundings magnetic field, which results in a constant output level. In general, distortion only occurs when waveforms with large amplitudes are reproduced. With why not try this out -ended planar magnetic driver, distortion is nearly absent at frequencies above the bass.
In addition to their low distortion, planar magnetic loudspeakers offer extremely high efficiency. This lets the drive use less energy than other technologies for speakers. This translates into lower costs of ownership and lower energy consumption.
The distortion of planar magnetic drivers is also considerably less than traditional dynamic speakers, and more than electrostatic speakers. This is because a planar magnet driver's flat diaphragm is equipped with a conductor trace that allows it react to magnetic fields created on either side.
The two magnets need to be carefully positioned so that the voice element stays in the magnetic field at optimum levels at all times. This allows magnetic drivers with planar design to operate at a very consistent level in all frequencies above bass.
Planar magnetic drivers come with a myriad of other advantages however the most significant is that they can be designed as dipoles (radiating in opposite phases and equally in front and behind the speaker similar to an ESL), or Monopoles (radiating in the forward direction similar to traditional dynamic speakers). This permits a wide range of designs, especially when used with a ribbon-tweeter.
A variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers are on the market today from manufacturers such as Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze and Fostex. Each company has their own signature sound that results of their unique design of drivers and other engineering innovations. The commonality among these speakers is their astonishing clarity, dynamics and their controlled control of directivity.
High Power Handling
Planar magnetic drivers can handle large amounts of power, but without the audible strain or stress that can be induced by traditional dynamic speakers that move. This is because the "voice coil" is spread out across an expansive area instead of being squeezed into a tiny gap between the cone and the basket like traditional dynamic drivers. This gives the voice-coil a larger surface to dissipate any heat.
Planar drivers can handle a lot of power because they are lightweight compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers are made of diaphragms that are heavy and thick. They are several orders of magnitude heavier and thicker than the ultra-light diaphragms used in planar magnetic drive. Due to their high mass, conventional diaphragms need a greater amount of force in order to move backwards and forwards (a measurement called excursion) to produce an appropriate level of sound pressure.
They aren't able to be driven nearly as much as a planar magnet driver, because the voice coil can begin to produce significant distortion. This is why it's important to purchase only loudspeakers that are rated for the amplifier you're planning to drive them with.
A planar magnetic driver's large excursion enables it to create more soundstages than conventional drivers. This is because the diaphragm itself vibrates to create a flat, even wavefront instead of the more focused spherical wavefront that is common in traditional drivers. The wider soundstage improves the accuracy and clarity of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances and more complex sounds.
The downside of the superior power handling that is offered by planar magnetic drives is that they tend to be more costly to produce and require stronger amplifiers to drive them at their full capacity. They can be massive and heavy, which makes it difficult to install them in certain areas. They also tend to have a low bass response, so you may have to add a subwoofer your system in order to get a satisfying result at lower frequencies.