Do larger planar speakers produce more accurate sound?


Planar speakers generate sound pressure via vibrating membrane panels. The excursion of the membrane x radiating area= sound pressure. This would mean that for a given sound level, membranes have smaller excursion in larger planar speakers than in smaller ones. Does this mean that larger speakers will produce more accurate sound?

I am not talking about the obvious benefits of the larger speakers in terms of low frequency production, so let's not get into that.

chungjh

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

@clearthinker

 

You say in general panels are as flat as cones.

Well actually I made the opposite claim.

F’rinstance Martin Logan CLXs are +-3dB from 56 to 23000 Hz. How much flatter would you like?

Super poor example. I can’t find published measurements, and you are literally cherry picking a single $25,000 multi-way planar speaker. Trying to refute my claim of "general" with a very specific and unusual planar isn’t really a good way to get to clear thinking my friend.   You also seem to have completely ignored my opening caveats:

It varies a great deal, but usually...

So I can be 100% correct and the CLX may still be unusually good performers. There's no conflict in these two statements, but I would love to see a frequency response chart just for giggles.

It varies a great deal, but usually there’s a tradeoff for planars, and that is that they have poor frequency response performance which is traded for less room interaction and an amazing ability to project an image.

That reduction in room interaction is really _the_ reason for planars.

One can argue however that this reduction in room interaction makes the planars more accurate from a practical stand point. What good is a flat speaker that you can’t hear as flat they argue.

In terms of distortion and frequency response, I haven’t seen a planar speaker since the Apogees that would measure as well as a dynamic speaker without enhancements from DSP.

Having said all of this, planars are worth consideration because what matters is how much you enjoy listening to music, not which is more accurate.