Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

headset planar magnetic drivers and ribbon tweeters provide many advantages over traditional dynamic speakers. Their large diaphragms require only the slightest amount of movement (excursion), allowing them to create the same sound as traditional speakers.

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

High-Resolution Sound

Planar and ribbon magnetic speakers are renowned for their ability to produce precise, clear sound. They are known for their high-resolution sound and reveal subtle nuances in the music that other drivers can't reproduce or reveal.

In addition to their impressive precision in sound reproduction, planar and ribbon drivers offer superior soundstaging that allow them to create an expansive soundstage and exceptional clarity. Audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles will find them be a fantastic choice.

Planar and ribbon drivers are distinguished by their dipole pattern. The pattern emitted equal amounts of energy in front and back in an inverted phase, creating an authentic soundstage. This, in conjunction with their large dispersion makes them ideal for large spaces, where they can fill the room with a wide and natural soundstage, without causing unnatural reflections off the walls and furniture.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a rapid response time, which enables them to reproduce transients with more accuracy and speed than conventional cone drivers. This produces a clear and clear sound even at very high frequencies.

Planar magnetic drivers are also well-known for their low distortion. This is due to the fact that they don't use the voice coil, but rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragms move without causing vibrations which could cause unwanted distortion.

A planar driver also has a much larger space between the magnets than a cone speaker. This results in a better bass performance and a greater frequency response at lower intensities.

Despite their many advantages, planar magnetic speakers have a few limitations to take into consideration. For instance, they could be quite expensive and may require more power than other types of speakers. They can also be bulky and difficult to fit into some rooms. Finally, they can be sensitive to the acoustics of the room and require extensive room treatment to ensure optimal performance. However, there are solutions to reduce these issues by incorporating an attenuation resistor (provided by your speakers) in the attenuation position, or applying some kind of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Like electrostatic speakers magnetic speakers produce sound by controlling the electrical charge that travels through wires suspended between magnets. However, they directly vibrate a flat diaphragm rather than an electrostatic charge which gives them a larger surface area and more accuracy. This is why they can be built into smaller and less expensive speakers and headsets than electrostatic models.

In addition to offering large dispersion, they also offer superior imaging and clarity of soundstages, particularly in the upper frequencies where they excel. This is a great benefit for audiophiles who enjoy watching music or films on big screens or in an open space.

Furthermore the planar drivers are capable of producing very deep bass as they can be augmented by boxed woofers that are attached to or separate from the diaphragm that resembles a ribbon. This is in contrast with traditional cone-shaped speakers that feature woofers that are located at the bottom, which are unable to reproduce bass frequencies due to the physical constraints of enclosures for woofers.

A planar driver has an extremely low distortion rate, which is directly proportional to the size and movement of the diaphragm. A planar speaker can produce a high volume of sound without distortion. This is the reason that the sound reproduction is clear and detailed.

Dynamic drivers in standard speakers and headphone typically exhibit significant distortion when driven to their extreme limit of excursion. Dynamic drivers can create a hollow or boomy sound.

Additionally, planar magnetic drivers are also extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, resulting in a lower energy consumption and reduced environmental impact. In addition, their diaphragms are typically composed of lighter materials than conventional speakers, which further decreases the amount of energy needed to propel them to create the desired sound pressure.

While many audiophiles are acquainted with planar/ribbon loudspeakers - especially those made by Magnepan, Infinity, and Apogee Acoustics - a new generation of brands is now entering the market. For example new planar loudspeakers made by manufacturers like Diptyque and Clarisys Audio are incorporating the latest advancements in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Since planar magnetic speakers do not feature a cone- or dome shaped diaphragm, planar magnetic loudspeakers they produce extremely low distortion. This is the direct consequence of their unique design, which eliminates the voice coil inductance commonly associated with conventional dynamic speakers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This assures that the diaphragm never out of phase with the magnetic field around it, resulting in a constant output. Typically, distortion only occurs when waveforms with large amplitudes are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnetic driver, distortion is almost absent at frequencies above the bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers are extremely efficient and have low distortion. This allows the drive to operate with a lesser amount of power than is typically required for other speakers. This translates into lower costs of ownership as well as less energy consumption.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a significantly lower distortion than conventional dynamic speakers, and even less for electrostatic speakers. This is due to the fact that the planar magnet driver's flat diaphragm has a conductor trace that allows it to react to magnetic fields that are generated on either side.

The two magnets need to be carefully placed to ensure that the voice element is properly positioned within the magnetic field at all times. This is what allows magnetic drivers that are planar to function at a very consistent level across all frequencies higher than bass.

Planar magnetic drivers have many other advantages however the most significant is that they can be designed as either 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, particularly when combined the ribbon-tweeter.

There are a myriad of planar magnetic loudspeakers available today, from manufacturers such as Hifiman Dan Clark Audeze and Fostex. Each company has its own distinctive sound that is a result of their unique driver configurations and other engineering innovations. The commonality of these speakers is their astonishing quality, dynamic, and controlled directivity.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic speakers can handle a lot more power than traditional dynamic moving coil drivers without the strain and strain that they may cause. This is due to the fact that the "voice coil" is spread across a large area instead of being squeezed into a narrow gap between the cone and basket like traditional dynamic drivers. This gives the voice coil an increased surface area to disperse any heat.

Another reason why planar magnetic drivers can handle such a large amount of power is due to having an extremely low mass when as compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers utilize diaphragms made of heavy, thick material that are orders of magnitude larger and thicker than diaphragms that are ultra-light and thin used in planar magnetic drives. Due to their massive mass, Planar magnetic loudspeakers conventional diaphragms require more force to move forward and backwards (a measurement known as excursion) to produce a certain level of sound pressure.

Therefore they aren't able to be used as hard as a planar magnetic driver could since the voice coil would begin to produce large amounts of distortion. This is the reason it's essential to purchase only loudspeakers that are designed for the type of amplifier you're planning to drive them with.

The high excursion allows it to create a wider soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the diaphragm itself vibrates to create a flat, even wavefront rather than the more focused spherical wavefront common in traditional drivers. The wider soundstage also improves the clarity and accuracy of the speakers and allows them to reproduce more subtle nuances and complex sounds.

The drawback to the superior power handling of planar magnetic drivers is that they are typically more expensive to manufacture and require stronger amplifiers to operate at full capacity. They can also be heavy and large which makes them difficult to install in some environments. They also have a lower bass response, meaning that you may need to add a subwoofer to your system to get a satisfying result at lower frequencies.