Are You Getting The Most From Your Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers?

Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

planar earphone magnetic drivers such as ribbon tweeters, and other dynamic speakers have a number advantages. Their large diaphragms need only just a tiny amount of movement (excursion) which allows them to create the same sound as a conventional speaker.

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

High-Resolution Sound

They are known for producing precise, detailed sound effects. They are known to deliver high-resolution sound and reveal subtle nuances in music that other drivers can't reproduce or show.

The planar and ribbon drivers aren't just precise, but also provide superior soundstages that allow them to reproduce a large soundstage with exceptional clarity. This makes them a great choice for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts who want to listen to music to the highest level possible.

The most notable feature of planar and ribbon drivers is their dipole radiation pattern that emits equal energy front and rear with inverted phase to create an incredibly spacious and natural soundstage. This, along with their large dispersion makes them suitable for large rooms, as they can fill the room with wide and natural soundstage, while avoiding unwanted reflections off furniture and walls.

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

Another advantage of planar magnetic drivers is their low distortion. This is because they do not use an actual voice coil, but rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragms to move without causing vibrations that could cause unwanted distortion.

Additionally, the distance between the magnets in a planar driver is much larger than in a traditional cone speaker. This provides a higher bass and a better frequency response at lower amplitudes.

While many of the benefits of planar magnetic drivers appeal to you, they do have some limitations that must be thought about. They can be expensive and require more power compared to other types of speakers. Additionally, they can be large and difficult to place in some spaces. They can also be sensitive to the room acoustics, and require extensive treatment of the room to achieve optimal performance. However, there are solutions to alleviate these issues for example, Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers by putting an attenuation resistor (provided with your speakers) in the attenuation position, or by applying some kind of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Planar magnetic speakers also generate sound by regulating the flow of electrical currents 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 accuracy. This allows them to be integrated into smaller and more affordable headsets and speakers as opposed to electrostatic models.

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

Furthermore they can produce extremely deep bass as they can be augmented with boxed woofers which are attached to or separated from the diaphragm-like ribbon. This is contrary to conventional cone-type speaker woofers which are typically located at the bottom of the cabinet, a location that is not able to reproduce bass frequencies because of the physical constraints of the enclosure for the woofer.

A planar driver has a low distortion rate, which is directly related to the size and travel of the diaphragm. A planar speaker is able to create a large volume of sound with no distortion. This is why the sound reproduction is so clear and detailed.

Dynamic drivers in standard headphones and speakers typically exhibit significant distortion when they are driven to their maximum excursion limits. Dynamic drivers can produce an enveloping sound or a boomy sound.

Planar magnetic drivers are extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, which results in a lower power usage and a less environmental impact. Their diaphragms that are generally smaller than traditional speakers, also decrease 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 made by Magnepan Infinity and Apogee Acoustics. However, a new brand is now on the market. For example new planar loudspeakers coming from manufacturers such as Diptyque and Clarisys Audio are incorporating the most recent advancements in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Because planar magnetic speakers don't have a cone or dome-shaped diaphragm, they produce extremely low distortion. This is due to their unique design, which eliminates the voice coil inductance which is common to 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, resulting in an unchanging output level. Distortion is usually only present when large waveforms are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnet driver, distortion is virtually nonexistent in all frequencies that go beyond the bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers can be very efficient and have a very low distortion. This means that the drive requires much less power than other speaker technologies. This in turn translates to lower cost of ownership and reduced energy consumption.

The distortion of planar magnetic drivers is significantly less than that of conventional dynamic speakers, and even more than electrostatic speakers. This is due to the fact that the flat diaphragm features a conductor trace that lets 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 located within the magnetic field at all times. This is what allows planar magnetic drivers to perform in a linear manner across all frequencies higher than bass.

While there are numerous other advantages of planar magnetic drivers, the most important is the fact that they can to be designed to be either dipole (radiating equally and in opposite phases both in front and back of the speaker similar to an ESL) or Monopole (radiating forward, much like the traditional dynamic). This opens the door for a wide variety of potential designs, particularly when paired with the ribbon tweeter.

There are a myriad of planar magnetic loudspeakers (https://vuf.minagricultura.Gov.Co) available today, from brands like Hifiman Dan Clark Audeze and Fostex. Each brand has their own unique sound, which is the result of their own patented driver configurations as well as other innovations in engineering. These speakers are characterized by their incredible detail and their dynamic, as well as controlled directionality.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic drivers can handle lots of power without the tension or strain that is caused by traditional dynamic speakers with moving coils. The "voice coil" is not squeezed into the narrow gap between the baskets and cones as in traditional dynamic drivers. Instead it is spread out over a larger area. This gives the voice coil an increased surface area to disperse any heat.

Another reason why planar magnetic 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 feature diaphragms with heavy, thick diaphragms that are a tenth of a pound thicker and heavier than the ultra-light diaphragms used in planar magnetic drive. Due to their high mass, Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers conventional diaphragms need more force in order to move backwards and forwards (a measurement known as excursion) to produce an appropriate level of sound pressure.

They can't be driven nearly as effectively as a planar magnetic driver, since the voice coil can begin to produce significant distortion. This is why it's crucial to buy only speakers that are designed for the amplifier that you intend to drive them with.

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

The downside of the superior power handling offered by planar magnetic drives is that they may be more expensive to produce and require stronger amplifiers to operate to their maximum capacity. They can be huge and heavy, making it difficult to install in certain areas. They also have a lower bass response, so you may need to add a subwoofer your system to achieve satisfying results at lower frequencies.