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Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters Planar magnetic drivers and ribbon tweeters offer a number of advantages over traditional dynamic speakers. Their large diaphragms require only the slightest amount of movement (excursion) which allows them to produce the same sound as traditional speakers. They also feature a dipolar radiation pattern, meaning they radiate equally to the front and rear of the speaker. High-Resolution Sound They are renowned for creating precise, clear sounds. They are known for their high-quality sound, and revealing subtle nuances in music that other drivers are unable to reproduce or show. In addition to their impressive precision in sound reproduction, planar and ribbon drivers provide superior sound staging, allowing them to reproduce an expansive soundstage and exceptional clarity. Audiophiles as well as home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles will find them be an excellent choice. The most notable feature of planar and ribbon drivers is their dipole radiation pattern, that emits equal energy front and back, inverted phase to create a natural and spacious soundstage. This, along with their wide dispersion, makes them ideal for large rooms, as they can fill the room with wide and natural soundstage, without causing unwanted reflections off furniture and walls. Planar magnetic drivers also have a fast response time, which enables them reproduce transients with greater precision and speed than traditional cone drivers. This produces a clear and detailed sound, even at higher frequencies. Planar magnetic drivers are recognized for their low distortion. This is due to the fact that they don't use a voice-coil, but an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragm to move, without creating vibrations that can cause unwanted distortion. In addition, the distance between the magnets in a planar driver is larger than in a traditional cone speaker. 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 are appealing, they do have some limitations that must be taken into consideration. They can be expensive and require more power when compared to other types of speakers. Also, they can be bulky and difficult to place in some rooms. Finally, they can be sensitive to the acoustics of the room and require extensive room treatment to achieve optimal performance. However, there are solutions to minimize these problems for example, by putting an attenuation resistor (provided with your speakers) in the attenuation position, or using some form of room treatment. Wide Dispersion Like electrostatic speakers magnetic speakers produce sound through the regulation of the electrical current passing through wires suspended between magnets. However, they directly vibrate a flat diaphragm rather than an electrostatic charge which means they have a larger surface area and more precision. This allows them to be incorporated into smaller and less expensive headsets and speakers than electrostatic models. Planar drivers aren't just capable of dispersing sound efficiently they also offer superior imaging and clarity in the higher frequencies. This is a huge advantage for audiophiles who enjoy listening to their favorite music or movies in the living room of a large size or any other open space. Furthermore, planar drivers can also produce deep bass since they can be augmented by boxed woofers which are attached to or separated from the diaphragm-like ribbon. This is in contrast with traditional cone-shaped speakers that contain woofers at the bottom of the speaker, which are not able to reproduce bass frequencies because of the physical constraints of enclosures for woofers. A planar driver has a low distortion rate, which is directly related to the size and movement of the diaphragm. A planar speaker is able produce a high volume of sound with no distortion. This is why the sound quality is so clear and precise. In comparison the dynamic drivers that are used in conventional speakers and headphones typically have significant distortion when driven to the limits of extreme excursion. Dynamic drivers can produce a hollow or boomy sound. Additionally, planar magnetic drivers are also extremely efficient. They require less power to drive, which results in a lower power consumption and a less environmental impact. In addition, their diaphragms are typically made of lighter materials than traditional speakers, which reduces the amount of energy required to propel them to create an appropriate sound pressure. While many audiophiles are acquainted with planar/ribbon loudspeakers – especially the ones made by Magnepan, Infinity, and Apogee Acoustics – a new generation of brands is now coming onto the market. New planar loudspeakers by manufacturers like Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for instance, feature the latest advances in ribbon technology. Low Distortion Planar magnetic speakers have very low distortion because they don't use the conventional dome-shaped diaphragm or cone. This is a direct result of their unique design, which eliminates the voice coil inductance commonly associated with traditional dynamic speakers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This results in the diaphragm never being out of phase with the surrounding magnetic field, and therefore the output level remains constant. Distortion is usually only present when large waveforms are being reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnetic driver distortion is virtually nonexistent at all frequencies that go beyond the bass. Planar magnetic loudspeakers are very efficient and have a very low distortion. This enables the drive to operate with a much lower power consumption than would otherwise be required for other speakers. This results in lower cost of ownership and less energy consumption. The distortion of planar magnetic drivers is also significantly less than that of conventional dynamic speakers, and even more so for electrostatic speakers. This is due to the fact that the flat diaphragm is equipped with an electrical conductor trace that lets it react to magnetic fields created on either side. The two magnets have to be carefully placed to ensure that the voice element is properly located within the magnetic field at all times. This is what enables the extremely linear performance of planar magnetic drivers at all frequencies that go beyond the bass. Planar magnetic drivers offer a variety of other advantages however the most significant is that they can be designed as dipoles (radiating in opposite phases and equally in front and behind the speaker, similar to an ESL) or Monopoles (radiating in the forward direction similar to traditional dynamic speakers). This allows for many different possible designs, particularly when paired with the ribbon tweeter. There are a myriad of planar magnetic loudspeakers available today, from manufacturers like Hifiman Dan Clark Audeze and Fostex. Each manufacturer has its own distinctive sound that is a result of their patented driver configurations and other engineering innovations. The commonality of these speakers is their incredible detail, dynamics, and their controlled directivity. High Power Handling Planar magnetic drivers are capable of handling large amounts of power without causing the audible strain or stress that can be caused by traditional moving coil dynamic speakers. This is because the “voice coil” is distributed over an extensive area instead of being squeezed into a narrow gap between the cone and the basket like in traditional dynamic drivers. This provides the voice coil with more surface area to dissipate heat efficiently. planar vs dynamic that planar drivers are able to handle such a large amount of power is due to having such a low mass as compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers use thick, heavy diaphragms that are orders of magnitude larger and heavier than the diaphragms that are ultra-light and thin used in planar magnetic drives. Due to their high mass, conventional diaphragms require more force to move backwards and forwards (a measurement referred to as excursion) to produce an appropriate level of sound pressure. Therefore they aren't able to be driven as hard as the planar magnetic driver because the voice coil could begin to produce large amounts of distortion. Therefore, it is essential to purchase loudspeakers that are designed for the amplifier you're planning to use. The high frequency of an acoustic driver also allows it to generate a much wider soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the entire diaphragm vibrates to create a flat, even wavefront rather than the more centered spherical wavefront found in traditional drivers. The wider soundstage also improves the accuracy and detail of the speakers which allows them to better reproduce subtle details and complex sounds. The downside to the superior power handling capabilities of planar magnetic drivers is that they are often more expensive to manufacture and require higher-powered amplifiers in order to be driven at full capacity. They can be massive and heavy, making it difficult to install them in certain areas. You may also need to add a separate subwoofer if you want to get satisfactory results at lower frequencies.