Gilmore Audio planars revealed

Dear Sellerwithintegrity,

Sound involves the actual movement of air molecules.

The air molecules only vibrate. Each individual particle of the medium (air) is temporarily displaced and then returns to its original equilibrium position.

Waves can be divided into two categories: mechanical and electromagnetic. The very nature of this classification is that electromagnetic waves can propagate in a vacuum. You are correct that sound waves are not like light waves, although we lost the "ether" some time back ;-), but they are waves, and share some fundamental characteristics.

Another categorization of waves is into longitudinal waves (such as sound waves), transverse waves (where the disturbed particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction in which the waves move), and surface waves (where the particles undergo circular motion).

Let me give you another example of a wave to demonstrate that the individual particles don't in fact move. You are at a big football game, and the "wave" is started by the boisterous beer drinkers in section B. They jump up, hands in the air, and sit down. Observed by their neighbours, who at the right moment jump up ... and so it goes. Watching from the Goodyear blimp, we observe the wave travel around the stadium a few times until it dies out through boredom. But the lads in section B are still there. They didn't run around the stadium with their hands in the air, did they? No, they have to stay in the cheap seats.

Regards,

I don't understand why a lot you are gaining up on this new speaker. This is suppose to be a fun hobby with friendly people, what happened? Sure the speaker may turn out to be a dud but on the flip side it may be very special. Let's wait until we can hear them first hand and then give our opinion. Meanwhile I say hat't off for someone trying to improve our hobby.

Metralla- Each of the football fans in your analogy moved but they didn't get transported. This type of movement (call it a "wave" or "vibration") is the type I assume anyone in this hobby is refering to when they use the term "moves air". I think most understand that a speaker is not literally like a desk fan that blows air around.

What I thought was more interesting was the claim that the ribbon is lighter than the air it , is totally meaningless. To explain: If one can hear sound eminating from a speaker, the speaker is air. At 127 db, one could hear the speaker from a good couple of miles away. Even with minimal dispersion, the volume of the air within the couple of miles that is is fairly huge and would weigh, literally, tons. So, when Sellerwithintegrity says that the speaker "moves (vibrates, waves)tons of air", he is correct. That the ribbon weighs less than several tons is meaningless. Even the air in my listening room weighs a couple of ounces. I'd be curious for Sellerwithintegrity to define his terms.

The other interesting claim was that the ribbon is .3 mil thick. If memory serves, both Martin Logan and Magnepan (and probably all the other planar makers except Sound Lab) have been using that thickness for years. Nothing new or impressive there.

It seems that these speakers have merit, just got to get past the initial marketing smoke and mirrors!

BTW- Three others have asked before without response- what do these speakers cost????

Jim

I believe people have a healthy skepticism of a very expensive new speaker that makes rather outlandish claims yet appears to be no more than rehash of the Carver and a number of other ribbon/dynamic hybrids.

The manufacturer's dealers have posted on a number of sites touting these speakers, which makes them fair game for comment.

I suspect they sound very good, but wish they would go easy on the pseudo-science, cheap thrills advertising and exagerration.

Amen, Steved.