Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers, ribbon tweeters and other dynamic speakers have a number advantages. Their diaphragms are comparatively large and require only a small amount of movement (excursion) to reproduce the same sound quality as a conventional driver, thus producing very low distortion.

They also have dipolar radiation patterns, which means that they radiate equally in front and behind the speaker.

High-Resolution Sound

Ribbon and planar magnetic speakers are renowned for their ability to create accurate, detailed sound. They are renowned for their ability to produce high-resolution and reveal subtle nuance in music that other drivers cannot reproduce or reveal.

In addition to their impressive precision in sound reproduction, planar and ribbon drivers provide superior sound staging, allowing them to reproduce an expansive soundstage with exceptional clarity. Audiophiles as well as home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles will find them be an excellent option.

A key feature of ribbon and planar drivers is their dipole radiation pattern, which radiates equal energy front and rear with inverted phase to create an incredibly spacious and natural soundstage. Their broad dispersion and dipole radiation pattern makes them ideal for large spaces, where they can create an Monolith M1570 Open Back Planar Headphones - Premium Sound and natural soundstage.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a rapid response time, which enables them reproduce transients with greater precision and speed than traditional cone drivers. This results in a highly detailed and crisp sound, even at extremely high frequencies.

Another benefit of planar magnetic drivers is their low distortion. It is because they don't employ a voice coil instead, but an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragm to move, without creating vibrations that can cause unwanted distortion.

A planar driver also has a larger space between the magnets than cone speakers. This allows for a higher frequency response and less distortion at lower amplitudes, while still providing good bass performance.

While the benefits of planar magnetic drivers appeal to you but they how do planar magnetic headphones work have a few limitations that must be considered. They can be expensive and require more power to other types of speakers. They can also be bulky and difficult to place in some spaces. They are also sensitive to the room acoustics, and require extensive treatment of the room in order to achieve optimal performance. There are methods to reduce the problems. For instance you can add an attenuation resistance (provided by speakers) and put it in the attenuation mode. Or, you can apply a variety of room treatments.

Wide Dispersion

Like electrostatic speakers magnetic speakers produce sound through the regulation of the electrical current passing through wires suspended between magnets. They vibrate a flat, conductive membrane directly, instead of using an electrostatic charge. This gives them a larger surface area and better precision. This operational principle also allows them to be built them into smaller, more affordable headphones and speakers compared to electrostatic models.

Planar drivers are not just capable of dispersing sound efficiently, but also deliver a higher quality image and clarity in the higher frequencies. This is an enormous benefit for audiophiles who love listening to their favourite music or movies in the living room of a large size or other space that is open.

Planar drivers can also produce an extremely deep bass since they can be augmented by boxed subwoofers that are connected to or separated from the membrane that resembles a ribbon. This is in contrast to traditional cone-type speakers, which feature woofers that are located at the bottom, which cannot reproduce bass frequencies because of the physical constraints of enclosures for woofers.

A planar driver has a low distortion rate which is directly related to the size and movement of the diaphragm. As a result, the Planar Headphone speaker can deliver a huge volume of sound with very little distortion, which is why it gives such a crisp and precise reproduction.

In contrast, the dynamic drivers used in traditional headphones and speakers typically exhibit significant amounts of distortion when they are driven to the limit of extreme excursion. As a result, dynamic drivers often produce a hollow or boomy sound.

Finally, planar magnetic drivers are also extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, resulting in a lower power usage and a less environmental impact. Their diaphragms that are generally smaller than traditional speakers, also reduce the amount of energy required to propel them to produce a specific sound pressure.

Many audiophiles have heard of speakers made of ribbon and planar such as those manufactured by Magnepan Infinity and Apogee Acoustics. However, an entirely new brand is on the market. New planar loudspeakers from manufacturers like Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for example, incorporate the most recent advancements in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Because planar magnetic speakers don't feature a 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 traditional dynamic speakers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This results in the diaphragm never being out of phase with its surrounding magnetic field, which results in a constant output level. Most often, distortion occurs when large amplitude waveforms are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnet driver, distortion is virtually nonexistent in all frequencies above the bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers are very efficient and have low distortion. This lets the drive use much less energy than other technologies for speakers. This in turn translates to lower cost of ownership and reduced energy consumption.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a significantly lower distortion than traditional dynamic speakers, and even less distortion for electrostatic speakers. This is due to the diaphragm that is flat in the planar magnetic driver is equipped with a conductor trace on it that allows it to react to the magnetic fields generated by the magnets that are on either side of it.

The two magnets have to be carefully placed to ensure that the voice element is optimally positioned within the magnetic field at all times. This is what enables the extremely linear performance of planar magnetic drivers in all frequencies that go beyond the bass.

While there are many other benefits of planar magnetic drivers, the most notable is that they are able to be designed to be either dipole (radiating equally and in opposing phases in the front and back of the speaker similar to an ESL) or monopole (radiating forward, more like an old-fashioned dynamic). This allows for many different possible designs, especially when coupled with ribbon tweeters.

A variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers are available today from brands such as Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze, and Fostex. Each brand planar headphone has its own distinctive sound that comes of their proprietary design of drivers and other engineering innovations. These speakers are characterized by their incredible detail, dynamic, and controlled directionality.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic drivers are capable of handling lots of power without causing the tension or strain that can be induced by traditional dynamic speakers that move. This is due to the fact that the "voice coil" is distributed over an expansive area instead of being squeezed into a tiny gap between the basket and cone like in traditional dynamic drivers. This gives the voice coil a larger surface to dissipate any heat.

Planar drivers can handle so much power because they are so lightweight compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers utilize diaphragms made of heavy, thick material that are orders of magnitude larger and heavier than the diaphragms made of ultra-light and thin materials employed in planar magnetic drivers. Due to their massive mass, these conventional diaphragms need a larger amount of force to move between them (a measure called excursion) to produce a given level of sound pressure.

In the end they aren't able to be driven as hard as the planar magnetic driver because the voice coil could begin to produce large amounts of distortion. It's therefore important to buy loudspeakers rated for the amplifier you plan to use.

The high excursion of a planar magnetic driver also enables it to create a larger soundstage than conventional drivers. This is due to the diaphragm's vibration evenly and flat to create an asymmetrical wavefront, not the spherical wavefront that is typical of conventional drivers. This larger soundstage improves the precision and detail of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances and more complex sounds.

The drawback to the superior power handling of planar magnetic drivers is that they are often more expensive to manufacture and require stronger amplifiers to operate at full capacity. They can also be quite large and heavy and can be difficult to install in some situations. You may also need to install a separate subwoofer in order to achieve good results at lower frequencies.