15 Reasons Not To Ignore Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers
Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters
Planar magnetic drivers and ribbon tweeters provide numerous advantages over traditional dynamic speakers. Their diaphragms are comparatively large and require only a small amount of movement (excursion) to reproduce the same sound quality like a conventional driver, which results in extremely low distortion.
They also have dipolar radiation patterns, meaning they radiate equally in front and behind the speaker.
High-Resolution Sound
Planar and ribbon magnetic speakers are renowned for their ability to create precise, detailed sound. They are known for delivering high-resolution sound that reveals subtle details in music that other drivers fail to reproduce or reveal.
The planar and ribbon drivers aren't just accurate, they also have superior soundstages that allow them to reproduce a huge soundstage with outstanding clarity. This makes them an excellent choice for audiophiles as well as home theater enthusiasts who wish to enjoy their music to the fullest extent possible.
The most notable feature of planar and ribbon drivers is their dipole radiation pattern, which emits equal energy both front and rear, with an inverted phase to create an incredibly spacious and natural soundstage. This, combined with their broad dispersion, makes them suitable for large spaces, where they can fill the room with a a broad and natural soundstage without producing unnatural reflections off the furniture and walls.
Planar magnetic drivers also have a fast response time, which helps to reproduce transients with more precision and speed than traditional cone drivers. This results in a clear and clear sound even at very high frequencies.
Planar magnetic drivers are recognized for their low distortion. This is due to the fact that they don't employ a voice coil rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragm to move without creating vibrations that could cause unwanted distortion.
In addition, the gap between the magnets in the planar driver is larger than that of a traditional cone speaker. This provides a higher bass and a better frequency response even at low amplitudes.
Despite their many advantages planar magnetic drivers have some limitations to take into consideration. For instance, they could be quite costly and require more power than other kinds of speakers. Additionally, they can be large and difficult to fit into certain spaces. Finally, they can be sensitive to the acoustics of the room and require a lot of room treatment to ensure optimal performance. There are solutions to lessen the effects. For example, you can add an attenuation resistance (provided by speakers) and put it in the attenuation settings. Also, you can use a variety of room treatment.
Wide Dispersion
Planar magnetic speakers also generate sound by controlling electrical currents that pass through wires suspended in between magnets. However, they directly vibrate a flat diaphragm, rather than an electrostatic charge, which allows for a much larger surface area and better accuracy. headphones shop is why they can be integrated into smaller and less expensive headsets and speakers than electrostatic models.
Planar drivers are not only capable of dispersing sound effectively, but also deliver a higher quality image and clarity in higher frequencies. This is a huge benefit for audiophiles who enjoy watching music or films on large screens or in an open space.
Furthermore the planar drivers can also produce deep bass since they can be enhanced by boxed woofers that are connected to or independent of the diaphragm that resembles a ribbon. This is in contrast to traditional cone speaker woofers which are typically placed in the bottom of the cabinet, a location that cannot reproduce bass frequencies due to the physical limitations of the woofer enclosure.
Another advantage of the planar driver is that it has exceptionally low distortion, which is directly related to the size and excursion of the diaphragm that resembles a ribbon. A planar speaker is able to produce a high volume of sound without distortion. This is the reason why the sound reproduction is so clear and detailed.
In comparison the dynamic drivers that are used in standard headphones and speakers typically have significant distortion when driven to the limit of extreme excursion. Dynamic drivers can create an enveloping sound or a boomy sound.
Planar magnetic drivers are extremely efficient. They consume less energy to drive, which results in a lower energy consumption and impact on the environment. Additionally, their diaphragms are typically made of lighter materials than traditional speakers, which reduces the amount of energy required 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, there is a brand new available. New planar loudspeakers by manufacturers such as Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for instance, feature the most recent advancements in ribbon technology.
Low Distortion
Since 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 driver speakers. (See U.S. patent 6,353,560). This means that the diaphragm is never being out of phase with the surrounding magnetic field, resulting in an unchanging output level. Distortion is usually only present when large waveforms are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnetic driver distortion is virtually nonexistent in all frequencies that go beyond the bass.
Planar magnetic loudspeakers are extremely efficient and have a low distortion. This enables the drive to operate with much less power than is typically required for other speaker technologies. This results in lower cost of ownership as well as less energy consumption.
The distortion of planar magnetic drivers is also considerably less than traditional dynamic speakers, and more so for electrostatic speakers. This is due to the flat diaphragm of the planar magnetic driver is equipped with a conductor trace which allows it to respond to magnetic fields created by magnets on either side of it.
The two magnets must be placed in a way that the voice element is in the magnetic field optimally throughout the time. This allows magnetic drivers with planar design to operate at a very linear level in all frequencies above bass.
While there are numerous benefits to planar magnetic drivers, the most important is that they are able to be designed to be either dipole (radiating equally and in opposing phases in front and back of the speaker, like an ESL) or monopole (radiating forward, similar to a traditional dynamic). This permits a wide range of designs, especially when paired with a ribbon-tweeter.
A variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers are available today from manufacturers such as Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze and Fostex. Each manufacturer has their own unique sound, which is the result of their patented driver configurations and other engineering innovations. These speakers are characterized by their stunning clarity and dynamic as well as their controlled directionality.
High Power Handling
Planar magnetic drivers are capable of handling large amounts of power without the audible strain or stress that is caused by traditional moving coil dynamic speakers. The "voice coil" is not squeezed into the tiny space between the baskets and cones as in traditional dynamic drivers. Instead it is spread out over more of a large area. 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 utilize diaphragms with heavy, thick diaphragms that are a tenth of a pound larger and heavier than the diaphragms made of ultra-light and thin materials used in planar magnetic drives. Because of their mass, conventional diaphragms need more force in order to move backwards and forwards (a measurement called excursion) to produce an appropriate level of sound pressure.
Therefore they aren't able to be used by the same force as a planar magnetic driver can since the voice coil would begin to produce significant amounts of distortion. This is why it's crucial to purchase only loudspeakers 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 due to the diaphragm's vibration evenly and flat to create waves, instead of the spherical wavefront typical of conventional drivers. This wider soundstage increases the precision and detail of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances and complex sound effects.
The disadvantage of the superior power handling that is offered by planar magnetic drives is that they can be more expensive to produce and require larger amplifiers to drive them at their full capacity. They can also be quite heavy and bulky which makes them difficult to install in certain locations. They also have a lower bass response, so you may have to add a subwoofer your system to achieve satisfying results at lower frequencies.