Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers and ribbon tweeters provide a number of advantages over traditional dynamic speakers. Their large diaphragms require only the slightest amount of movement (excursion) and allow them to produce the same sound quality as an ordinary speaker.

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

High-Resolution Sound

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

In addition to their incredible precision, Planar magnetic loudspeakers ribbon and planar drivers offer superior soundstaging that allow them to create an expansive soundstage and exceptional clarity. This makes them a great option for audiophiles and home theatre enthusiasts who want to enjoy music to the highest level possible.

Planar and ribbon drivers are distinguished by their dipole pattern. This pattern emits equal amounts of energy the front and back, with an inverted phase, creating an authentic soundstage. Their wide dispersion and dipole radiation pattern make them ideal for large spaces, where they are able to create an authentic and spacious soundstage.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a rapid response time, which allows them to reproduce transients with greater accuracy and speed than conventional cone drivers. This results in a highly clear and precise sound, even at very high frequencies.

Another benefit of planar magnetic drivers is their low distortion. This is because they don't use a voice-coil rather 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 bigger than the gap in a conventional cone speaker. This results in a better frequency response and less distortion at low amplitudes, while still providing excellent bass performance.

Despite their many advantages planar magnetic speakers have a few limitations to consider. They can be expensive and require more power to other types of speakers. They are also heavy, making difficult to fit into certain areas. Furthermore, they can be sensitive to the acoustics of the room and require a lot of room treatment to ensure the best magnetic planar headphones performance. There are several ways to minimize these problems by incorporating an attenuation resistor (provided by your speakers) in the attenuation position, or by applying some kind of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Planar magnetic speakers also generate sound by controlling electrical currents that pass through wires that are suspended between magnets. However, they directly vibrate a flat diaphragm rather than an electrostatic charge which gives them a larger surface area and better accuracy. This principle of operation also makes it possible to build them into smaller, less expensive headphones and speakers compared to electrostatic models.

Planar drivers are not only capable of dispersing sound efficiently, but also deliver a superior imaging and clarity at higher frequencies. This is a huge benefit for audiophiles who love watching movies or music on large screens or in an open space.

Planar drivers can also provide an extremely deep bass because they can be enhanced with boxed subwoofers connected to or separated from the membrane that resembles a ribbon. This is in contrast with traditional cone-type speakers that have woofers located at the bottom of the speaker, which are not able to reproduce bass frequencies because of the physical constraints of woofer enclosures.

A planar driver has a low distortion rate, which is directly related to the size and movement of the diaphragm. A planar speaker can create a large volume of sound without distortion. This is why the sound reproduction is so clear and detailed.

Dynamic drivers found in conventional headphones and speakers typically show significant distortion when driven to their extreme limit of excursion. This is why dynamic drivers often produce a boomy or hollow sound.

Planar magnetic drivers are extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, resulting in a lower power consumption and less environmental impact. Their diaphragms, which are typically lighter than traditional speakers, also reduce the amount of energy required to propel them in order to produce a certain sound pressure.

While many audiophiles are familiar with planar/ribbon loudspeakers - particularly the ones made by Magnepan, Infinity, and Apogee Acoustics - a new generation of brands are making their debut. 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 the direct consequence of their unique design, which eliminates the voice coil inductance associated with conventional dynamic speaker drivers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This ensures that the diaphragm is not out of phase with the magnetic field that surrounds it, resulting in it has a constant output. In general, distortion only occurs when waveforms with large amplitudes are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnet driver, distortion is virtually absent in all frequencies that go beyond the bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers can be very efficient and have low distortion. This allows the drive to use less power than other types of speakers. This in turn translates to lower operating costs and reduced energy consumption.

The distortion of planar magnetic drivers is considerably less than conventional dynamic speakers, and even more so for electrostatic speakers. This is because a planar magnet driver's flat diaphragm features a conductor trace that lets it react to magnetic fields generated on either side.

The two magnets have to be placed so that the voice element stays in the magnetic field optimally throughout the time. This is what allows for the extremely linear performance of planar magnetic drivers at all frequencies above the bass.

There are numerous benefits to planar magnetic drivers, the most significant is that they can to be designed to be either dipole (radiating equally and in opposite phases in front and back of the speaker like an ESL) or monopole (radiating forward, similar to an old-fashioned dynamic). This allows for a variety of designs, particularly when combined using a ribbon-tweeter.

There are a variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers that are available today, from brands such as Hifiman Dan Clark Audeze and Fostex. Each manufacturer has their own unique sound that is the result of their unique driver configurations and other technological innovations. These speakers are characterized by their amazing clarity, dynamic, and controlled directionality.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic speakers can handle more power than traditional moving coil dynamic drivers without the tension and strain they may cause. The "voice coil" is not squeezed into the narrow gap between baskets and cones like in traditional dynamic drivers. Instead, it is spread across a larger area. This provides the voice coil with a larger surface area to dissipate heat effectively.

Another reason why planar magnetic drivers are able to handle such a large amount of power is that they have an extremely low mass when compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers employ thick, heavy diaphragms that are a tenth of a pound larger and thicker than diaphragms that are ultra-light and thin employed in planar magnetic drivers. Due to their massive mass, conventional diaphragms need more force to move backwards and forwards (a measurement called excursion) to produce an appropriate level of sound pressure.

They can't be driven nearly as hard as a planar magnetic driver, since the voice coil will start to produce significant distortion. This is why it's crucial to only purchase loudspeakers that are rated for the type of amplifier you're planning to drive them with.

The high excitation of a planar magnetic driver also allows it to generate a much wider soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the entire diaphragm vibrates to create an even, flat wavefront instead of the more focused spherical wavefront common in conventional drivers. This larger soundstage improves the accuracy and details of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances and complex sound effects.

The disadvantage of the superior power handling offered by planar magnetic drives is that they can be more costly to produce and require more powerful amplifiers to operate at their full potential. They can be huge and heavy which can make it difficult to install in certain environments. They also tend to have a low bass response, meaning that you may have to add a subwoofer to your system in order to get a satisfying result at lower frequencies.