Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers and ribbon tweeters have 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 level as a conventional driver, thus producing very low distortion.

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

High-Resolution Sound

Planar and ribbon magnetic speakers are known for their ability to deliver precise, detailed sound. They are renowned for their ability to produce high-resolution and reveal subtle nuances in the music that other drivers are unable to reproduce or reveal.

The planar and ribbon drivers aren't just accurate, they also have superior soundstages, which allows them to reproduce a huge soundstage with incredible clarity. Audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles will find them be a great option.

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

Planar magnetic drivers have a rapid response time which allows them to reproduce transients more precisely and quickly than cone drivers. This produces a clear and detailed sound even at high frequencies.

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

A planar driver also has a larger space between the magnets than cone speakers. This results in a greater frequency response and lower distortion at lower amplitudes, while still providing excellent bass performance.

While the benefits of planar magnetic drivers appeal to you but they do have a few limitations that need to be taken into consideration. They can be expensive and require more power when compared to other kinds of speakers. They can also be heavy and make it difficult to fit into certain areas. They are also sensitive to the room acoustics, and require extensive treatment of the room to ensure optimal performance. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize these problems for example, by putting an attenuation resistor (provided by your speakers) in the attenuation location, or by using some form of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Planar magnetic speakers also produce sound by controlling electrical currents that travel 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. This allows them to be integrated into smaller and less expensive headsets and speakers as opposed to electrostatic models.

In addition to providing a large dispersion, they also offer superior imaging and clarity of soundstage, especially in the higher frequencies where they excel. This is a huge advantage for audiophiles who love listening to their favorite music or Planar Magnetic Speakers movies in the living room of a large size or other space that is open.

Additionally they are capable of producing very deep bass as they can be enhanced by boxed woofers that are attached to or separated from the ribbon-like diaphragm. This is in contrast with traditional cone-shaped speakers that contain woofers at the bottom, which are unable to reproduce bass frequencies due to the physical constraints of woofer enclosures.

Another advantage of the planar driver is its extremely low distortion which is directly linked to the size and the excursion of the diaphragm that resembles a ribbon. As a result, a planar speaker can produce an extremely high volume of sound with minimal distortion, which is the reason it produces such crisp and precise reproduction.

Dynamic drivers in standard headphones and speakers typically show significant distortion when they are driven to their maximum limit of excursion. In the end, dynamic drivers usually create a booming or hollow sound.

In addition, planar magnetic drives are also extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, resulting in a lower energy consumption and a less environmental impact. Additionally, their diaphragms are typically composed of lighter materials than traditional speakers, which in turn reduces the amount of energy required for them to generate a given sound pressure.

While many audiophiles are familiar with planar/ribbon loudspeakers - particularly those made by Magnepan, Infinity, and Apogee Acoustics - a new generation of brands is entering the market. New planar loudspeakers made by companies such as Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for example, incorporate the latest advances in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Since planar magnetic speakers how do planar magnetic headphones work not feature a cone- or dome-shaped diaphragm, they produce extremely low distortion. This is the direct consequence 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 the surrounding magnetic field, which results in a constant output level. Most often, distortion occurs when waveforms with large amplitudes are reproduced. With a single-ended magnetic planar driver planar, distortion is almost absent at frequencies above bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers can be very efficient and have a very low distortion. This enables the drive to be used with much less power than is typically required for other speakers. 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 for electrostatic speakers. This is because the diaphragm that is flat in the planar magnetic driver is equipped with a conductor trace around it which allows it to respond to magnetic fields created by magnets on either side of it.

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

While there are numerous benefits to planar magnetic drivers, the most notable is that they can to be designed to be dipole (radiating equally and in opposite phases both in front and back of the speaker, like an ESL) or Monopole (radiating forward, similar to a traditional dynamic). This opens the door to a wide variety of potential designs, especially when combined with ribbon tweeters.

Many planar magnetic loudspeakers are on the market today from companies like Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze, and Fostex. Each brand has their own unique sound that is the result of their patented driver configurations and other technological innovations. The commonality of these speakers is their incredible detail, dynamics, and controlled directivity.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic drivers can handle a lot of power, but without the audible strain or stress that can be caused by traditional dynamic speakers with moving coils. This is because the "voice coil" is distributed over a large area instead of being squeezed into a tiny gap between the basket and cone like traditional dynamic drivers. This gives the voice coil a larger surface to dissipate any heat.

Another reason that planar drivers are able to handle so much power is that they have the smallest mass when in comparison to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers feature diaphragms that are heavy and thick. They are orders of magnitude larger and heavier than ultra-light diaphragms that are found in planar magnetic drive. Because of their mass, these diaphragms need a larger amount of force to move between them (a measure referred to as excursion) to produce an equal amount of sound pressure.

In the end they aren't able to be driven by the same force as a planar magnetic driver can 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 enables it to create a larger soundstage than conventional drivers. This is due to the diaphragm's ability to vibrate uniformly and flat to form waves, instead of the spherical wavefront that is common with conventional drivers. This wider soundstage increases the accuracy and clarity of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances as well as more complex sound effects.

The drawback of the superior power handling that is offered by planar magnetic drives is that they tend to be more expensive to manufacture and planar magnetic speakers require larger amplifiers to drive them at their full potential. They can also be quite large and heavy and can be difficult to install in some locations. You may also have to add a separate subwoofer if you want to achieve good results at lower frequencies.