Are You Getting The Most From Your Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers?

Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers such as ribbon tweeters, and other dynamic speakers have a number advantages. Their large diaphragms only require just a tiny amount of movement (excursion) and allow them to create the same sound as traditional speakers.

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

High-Resolution Sound

Ribbon and planar magnetic speakers are renowned for their ability to create accurate, detailed sound. They are known for delivering high-quality sound, and revealing subtle details in music that other drivers are unable to reproduce or reveal.

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. Audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts as well as audiophiles will find them to be an excellent choice.

One of the most important characteristics of ribbon and planar drivers is their dipole radiation pattern that emits equal energy front and rear with inverted phase to create a natural and spacious soundstage. Their large dispersion and dipole radiation pattern make them ideal for large spaces, where they can create an authentic and spacious soundstage.

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

Planar magnetic drivers are well-known for their low distortion. This is because they do not employ an actual voice coil, but instead an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragm to move, without creating 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 results in a better frequency response and lower distortion at low amplitudes, and still provides excellent bass performance.

Although many of the advantages of planar magnetic drivers are appealing, they do have some limitations that must be taken into consideration. For example, they can be quite costly and require more power than other kinds of speakers. They can also be large and difficult to place in some rooms. Additionally, they are sensitive to the acoustics of the room and require extensive room treatment to ensure optimal performance. There are solutions to lessen the effects. For example you can include an attenuation resistance (provided by speakers) and place it in the attenuation settings. You can also perform some type of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Like electrostatic speakers, planar magnetic speakers produce sound through the regulation of the electrical current that flows through wires that are suspended between magnets. However, they directly move a flat diaphragm instead than an electrostatic charge which gives them a larger surface area and greater precision. This operational principle also allows them to be built them into smaller, less expensive speakers and headphones than electrostatic models.

In addition to providing a wide dispersion, planar drivers provide superior clarity and image of soundstages, particularly in the higher frequencies where they excel. This is a huge benefit for audiophiles who enjoy watching movies or music on big screens or in an open space.

Additionally the planar drivers are capable of producing very deep bass since they can be augmented with boxed woofers that are attached to or separated from the ribbon-like diaphragm. This is in contrast to traditional cone speaker woofers which are typically located in the bottom of the cabinet, a position which is unable to reproduce bass frequencies due to the physical limitations of the enclosure that houses the woofer.

A planar driver has a low distortion rate which is directly proportional to the size and movement of the diaphragm. As a result, a planar speaker can produce a huge volume of sound with minimal distortion, which is why it can produce such crisp and precise reproduction.

Dynamic drivers in standard speakers and headphone typically exhibit significant distortion when driven to their extreme excursion limits. Dynamic drivers can produce an unnatural or booming sound.

In addition, planar magnetic drives are also extremely efficient. They consume less energy to drive, which results in lower energy consumption and impact on the environment. Their diaphragms, which are usually smaller than traditional speakers, also reduce the energy required to propel them in order to create a certain sound pressure.

Many audiophiles have heard of speakers made of ribbon and planar such as those manufactured by Magnepan Infinity and Apogee Acoustics. However, a new brand is now available. New planar loudspeakers by manufacturers like Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for instance, are incorporating the latest advancements 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 due to their unique design that eliminates the voice coil inductance that is associated with dynamic speaker drivers. (See U.S. patent 6,353,560). This results in the diaphragm not being out of phase with its surroundings magnetic field, and therefore a constant output level. Most often, distortion occurs when high-amplitude waveforms are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnetic driver, headphone distortion is virtually absent in all frequencies above the bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers can be very efficient and have low distortion. This enables the drive to operate with a much lower power consumption than is normally required for other speaker technologies. This results in lower cost of ownership as well as less energy consumption.

Planar magnetic drivers also have significantly lower distortion compared to conventional dynamic speakers and are even less than electrostatic speakers. This is due to the fact that the flat diaphragm has an electrical conductor trace that lets it to react to magnetic fields that are generated on either side.

The two magnets have to be carefully positioned to ensure that the voice element is placed within the magnetic field at all times. This is what is a planar headphone allows for the extremely linear performance of planar magnetic drivers at all frequencies above the bass.

Planar magnetic drivers have many other advantages they offer, but the main advantage is that they can be designed as either dipoles (radiating in opposite directions and equally behind and in front of the speaker similar to an ESL), or Monopoles (radiating in the forward direction and more like traditional dynamic speakers). This allows for an array of possible designs, particularly when paired with ribbon tweeters.

A variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers can be found today from companies such as Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze, and Fostex. Each manufacturer has its own distinctive sound that is a result of their unique driver configurations as well as other innovations in engineering. The commonality of these speakers is their incredible clarity, dynamics, and controlled directivity.

High Power Handling

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

Planar drivers can handle a lot of power because they are so lightweight compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers feature diaphragms with heavy, thick diaphragms that are several orders of magnitude thicker and heavier than the ultra-light diaphragms used in planar magnetic drive. Because of their high mass, these conventional diaphragms require a greater amount of force to move back and forth (a measure referred to as excursion) to produce a given level of sound pressure.

They can't be driven nearly as effectively as a planar magnet driver, as the voice coil can begin to produce significant distortion. Therefore, it is essential to purchase loudspeakers that are rated for the amplifier you're planning to use.

The high excursion enables it to create an even larger soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the diaphragm vibrates in a uniform and flat way to create an asymmetrical wavefront, not the spherical wavefront typical of traditional drivers. This larger soundstage also increases the precision and clarity of the speakers which allows them to better reproduce nuances and complex sounds.

The disadvantage of the superior power handling provided by planar magnetic drives is that they tend to be more expensive to manufacture and require larger amplifiers to run them at their full potential. They can also be quite heavy and large which makes them difficult to install in some environments. They also tend to have a low bass response, so you may need to add a subwoofer your system to get the best results at lower frequencies.