NEWS

Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers as well as ribbon tweeters and other dynamic speakers have several advantages. Their large diaphragms require only a tiny amount of movement (excursion) to reproduce the same volume as a traditional driver, resulting in very low distortion.

They also have a dipolar pattern of radiation, meaning they radiate equally to the rear and front of the speaker.

High-Resolution Sound

Planar and ribbon magnetic speakers are famous for their ability to create precise, detailed sound. They are known for their high-resolution and reveal subtle nuance in the music that other drivers cannot reproduce or show.

In addition to their remarkable precision in sound reproduction, planar and ribbon drivers have superior soundstages that allow them to create an expansive soundstage with exceptional clarity. This makes them a fantastic choice for audiophiles as well as home audiophiles who want to listen to music to the maximum extent possible.

A key feature of planar and ribbon drivers is their dipole radiation pattern, which emits equal energy both front and rear with inverted phase to create a natural and spacious soundstage. This, combined with their wide dispersion, makes them suitable for large spaces, where they can fill the room with a a broad and natural soundstage without producing unnatural reflections off walls and furniture.

Planar magnetic drivers have a rapid response time that allows them to reproduce transients more precisely and more quickly than cone drivers. This results in a highly clear and precise sound, even at extremely high frequencies.

Another benefit of planar magnetic drivers is their low distortion. This is due to the fact that they don't employ a voice coil rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragms to move without creating vibrations that can cause distortion that is not desirable.

Additionally, the distance between the magnets in the planar driver is bigger than the gap in a conventional cone speaker. This results in a better bass performance and a greater frequency response even at low amplitudes.

Despite their many advantages, planar magnetic closed back headphones magnetic drivers do have some limitations to consider. For instance, they can be quite expensive and may require more power than other types of speakers. They can also be heavy, planar Magnetic loudspeakers making it difficult to fit them in certain areas. They are also sensitive to the room acoustics, and require extensive treatment of the room in order to achieve optimal performance. There are solutions to lessen the issues. For instance you can include an attenuation resistance (provided with speakers) and put it in the attenuation setting. You can also apply a variety of room treatments.

Wide Dispersion

Planar magnetic speakers also generate sound by controlling electrical currents that pass through wires suspended in between magnets. They vibrate a flat surface directly, instead of using an electrostatic charge. This gives them a larger surface area and greater precision. This principle allows them to be incorporated into smaller and less expensive headsets and speakers than electrostatic models.

In addition to providing a large dispersion, they also deliver superior imaging and clarity of soundstage, particularly in the higher frequencies where they excel. This is a great benefit for audiophiles that enjoy watching movies or music on big screens or in an open space.

Furthermore they are capable of producing very deep bass since they can be augmented by boxed woofers that are attached to or separated from the diaphragm that resembles a ribbon. This is in contrast to traditional cone-type speaker woofers that are usually placed in the bottom of the cabinet, a position that cannot reproduce bass frequencies due to the physical limitations of the enclosure for the woofer.

A planar driver has a low distortion rate which is directly correlated to the size and travel of the diaphragm. A planar speaker can produce a high volume of sound with no distortion. This is the reason that the sound reproduction is clear and precise.

In comparison the dynamic drivers that are used in traditional headphones and speakers typically exhibit significant amounts of distortion when they are driven to the limit of extreme excursion. Dynamic drivers can give a hollow or boomy sound.

Finally, planar magnetic drivers are also extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, which results in a lower power usage and less environmental impact. In addition, their diaphragms are typically composed of lighter materials than traditional speakers, which further decreases the amount of energy required to propel them to create an appropriate sound pressure.

Many audiophiles have heard of planar/ribbon speakers such as those manufactured 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 example, incorporate the latest advances in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Planar magnetic speakers have extremely low distortion because they don't employ the traditional cone or dome-shaped diaphragm. This is due to their unique design, which eliminates the voice coil inductance which is associated with dynamic speaker drivers. (See U.S. patent 6,353,560). This results in the diaphragm never being out of phase with the surrounding magnetic field, and therefore a constant output level. In general, distortion only occurs when high-amplitude waveforms are reproduced. With a planar magnetic single-ended driver, distortion is nearly absent at frequencies above bass.

In addition to their low distortion and low distortion, planar magnetic loudspeakers provide extremely high efficiency. This allows the drive to use less power than other speaker technologies. This means lower costs of ownership and less energy consumption.

Planar magnetic drivers also have significantly lower distortion than conventional dynamic speakers, and even less for electrostatic speakers. This is because the diaphragm that is flat in the planar magnetic driver has a conductor trace that allows it to react to magnetic fields created by magnets located on the opposite side of it.

The two magnets need to be placed with care to ensure that the voice element is properly located within the magnetic field at all times. This allows planar magnetic drivers to perform at a very linear level in all frequencies above bass.

Planar magnetic drivers come with a myriad of other advantages they offer, but the main advantage is that they can be designed as dipoles (radiating in opposite phases and equally in front and behind the speaker like an ESL) or monopoles (radiating in the direction of forward and more like traditional dynamic speakers). This permits a wide range of designs, particularly when combined using a ribbon-tweeter.

A variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers are available today from manufacturers like Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze, and Fostex. Each brand has its own distinctive sound that comes from their patented driver designs and other engineering innovations. The commonality of these speakers is their incredible clarity, dynamics, and controlled directivity.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic planar drivers can handle large amounts of power without the audible strain or stress that can be induced by traditional moving coil dynamic speakers. This is due to the fact that the "voice coil" is spread out across a large area instead of being squeezed into a small gap between the cone and basket as in traditional dynamic drivers. This gives the voice coil an increased surface area to disperse any heat.

Planar drivers can handle such a large amount of power because they are so lightweight compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers are made of diaphragms with heavy, thick diaphragms that are orders of magnitude thicker and heavier than the ultra-light diaphragms that are found in the planar magnetic drive. Because of their mass, these diaphragms need a larger amount of force to move back and forth (a measure referred to as excursion) to produce an equal amount of sound pressure.

As a result they aren't able to be driven as effectively as the planar magnetic driver since the voice coil would begin to produce large amounts of distortion. It is therefore essential to purchase loudspeakers rated for the amplifier you plan to use.

The high excursion allows it to produce an even larger soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the entire diaphragm vibrates to create an even, flat wavefront, rather than the more focused spherical wavefront that is common in conventional drivers. This larger soundstage also increases the accuracy and detail of the speakers which allows them to better reproduce subtle variations and complex sounds.

The drawback of the superior power handling that is offered by planar magnetic drives is that they may be more costly to produce and require stronger amplifiers to run them at their full capacity. They can also be quite heavy and large and can be difficult to install in some environments. You may also need to add a separate subwoofer in order to get satisfactory results at lower frequencies.