Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers, ribbon tweeters and other speakers with dynamic characteristics have several advantages. Their large diaphragms require only the slightest amount of movement (excursion) which allows them to create the same sound quality as traditional speakers.

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

High-Resolution Sound

Ribbon and planar magnetic speakers are known for their ability to produce accurate, detailed sound. They are known for their high-resolution sound that reveals subtle details in music that other drivers fail to reproduce or reveal.

In addition to their impressive precision, ribbon and planar drivers offer superior soundstaging that allow them to create an expansive soundstage and exceptional clarity. This makes them a fantastic choice for audiophiles and home audiophiles who are looking to listen to music to the maximum extent possible.

Planar and ribbon drivers are distinguished by their dipole pattern. This pattern radiates equal amounts of energy in front and back in an inverted phase that creates an authentic soundstage. Their large dispersion and dipole radiation pattern makes them ideal for large spaces, where they can create a natural and spacious soundstage.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a fast response time, which enables them reproduce transients with greater precision and speed than conventional cone drivers. This produces a clear and detailed sound even at higher frequencies.

Planar magnetic drivers are also known for their low distortion. This is due to the fact that they do not use the voice coil, but rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragms to move without creating vibrations that can cause distortion that is not desirable.

In addition, the distance between the magnets in the planar driver planar is bigger than the gap in a conventional cone speaker. This allows for a higher frequency response and lower distortion at low amplitudes, while still providing excellent bass performance.

Despite their many advantages planar magnetic drivers how do planar magnetic headphones work have some limitations to be aware of. For example, they can be expensive and require more power than other kinds of speakers. They can also be bulky and difficult to place in certain rooms. They can also be sensitive to the room acoustics, and require extensive treatment of the room in order to achieve optimal performance. There are several ways to minimize these problems by incorporating an attenuation resistor (provided with your speakers) in the attenuation location, or by applying some kind of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Similar to electrostatic speakers, planar magnetic speakers produce sound by regulating the electrical current passing through wires suspended between magnetic. They vibrate a flat, conductive membrane directly, rather than using an electrostatic charge. This results in a larger surface area and more precise. This operation principle allows for planar magnetic loudspeakers the construction of them into smaller, more affordable speakers and headphones than electrostatic models.

Planar drivers are not only capable of dispersing sound effectively and efficiently, but also provide higher quality image and clarity in higher frequencies. This is an excellent benefit for audiophiles who love watching music or films on big screens or in an open space.

Furthermore the planar drivers can produce extremely 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 to traditional cone-type speakers, which feature woofers that are located at the bottom of the speaker, which are not able 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 dimensions and travel of the diaphragm. A planar speaker is able produce a huge volume of sound with no distortion. This is the reason why the sound reproduction is so clear and detailed.

In contrast the dynamic drivers utilized in traditional headphones and speakers typically show significant levels of distortion when driven to extreme excursion limits. In the end, dynamic drivers usually produce a hollow or boomy sound.

Planar magnetic drivers are extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, which results in a lower power consumption and less environmental impact. In addition, their diaphragms are typically comprised of lighter materials than conventional speakers, which further decreases the amount of energy needed to propel them to create the desired 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 made by companies like Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for instance, are incorporating the latest advances in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Because planar magnetic speakers don't 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 speaker drivers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This means that the diaphragm is never being out of phase with its surroundings magnetic field, and therefore a constant output level. The distortion is typically only evident when large waveforms are being reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnet driver, distortion is virtually absent in all frequencies above the bass.

In addition to their ultra-low distortion, planar magnetic loudspeakers offer very high efficiency. This enables the drive to be used with a much lower power consumption than is typically required for other speaker technologies. This results in lower cost of ownership and reduced energy consumption.

The distortion of planar magnetic drivers is considerably less than traditional dynamic speakers, and more so for electrostatic speakers. This is due to the diaphragm, which is flat, of the planar magnetic driver is equipped with a conductor trace on it that allows it to react to magnetic fields created by magnets on the opposite side of it.

These two magnets must be carefully positioned to ensure that the voice element is properly located within the magnetic field at all times. This is what allows magnetic drivers that are planar to function at a very linear level in all frequencies above bass.

Planar magnetic drivers have many other advantages however the most significant is that they can be designed as dipoles (radiating in opposite directions and equally in front and behind the speaker, similar to an ESL) or planar magnetic loudspeakers Monopoles (radiating in the direction of forward, more like traditional dynamic speakers). This allows for a variety of designs, particularly when paired with the ribbon-tweeter.

There are many planar magnetic loudspeakers that are available today, from manufacturers like Hifiman Dan Clark Audeze and Fostex. Each company has their own signature sound that results of their unique design of drivers as well as other engineering breakthroughs. These speakers are distinguished by their incredible detail and dynamic as well as their controlled directionality.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic drivers are capable of handling a lot of power without causing the audible strain or stress that can be induced by traditional moving coil dynamic speakers. The "voice coil" is not squeezed into the narrow space between the baskets and cones like in traditional dynamic drivers. Instead, it is spread across a larger area. This gives the voice coil a larger surface area to dissipate heat efficiently.

Another reason that planar drivers are able to handle such a large amount of power is due to having an extremely low mass when as compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers have diaphragms with heavy, thick diaphragms that are several orders of magnitude larger and heavier than ultra-light diaphragms that are found in the planar magnetic drive. Due to their massive mass, conventional diaphragms require a greater amount of force in order to move forward and backwards (a measurement referred to as excursion) to create a certain level of sound pressure.

They can't be driven nearly as effectively as a planar magnetic driver, as the voice coil can begin to create significant distortion. It is therefore essential to purchase loudspeakers rated for the amplifier you're planning to use.

A planar magnetic driver's 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 instead of the more focused spherical wavefront that is common in conventional drivers. This larger soundstage improves the accuracy and clarity of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances and complex sounds.

The downside to the superior power handling capabilities of planar magnetic drivers is that they tend to be more expensive to make and require more powerful amplifiers in order to operate at full capacity. They can also be heavy and bulky and can be difficult to install in certain locations. It is also possible to add a subwoofer to get satisfactory results at lower frequencies.