Gilmore Audio planars revealed


The Gilmore Audio speaker have finally been photographed for the world to see: Gilmore Audio

Disclaimer - I'm a dealer for the Gilmores, though at this point I'm still awaiting my first pair, as they haven't begun shipping yet.

The Gilmores push the edge of the envelope for planar technology in several areas. Innovations include an extremely thin (3 mil) Kapton diaphragm; bass extension to below 20 Hz; easy 8-ohm load combined with 92 dB efficiency (you can drive 'em with Atma-Sphere M-60's!); and maximum output level in the mid to upper 120's.

Designer Mark Gilmore is the webmaster of the Atma-Sphere Owner's Group website, as well as of the Sound Lab Owner's Group site. He's been around for a while, but this is his first commercial loudspeaker design (to the best of my knowledge).

I haven't heard 'em yet so can't comment on the sound (I know, that's all that really matters after all). I'm expecting a pair before the end of the year, and will post comments then.

Duke
audiokinesis
merganser:
the only thing that is certain is that sellerwith has not responded to questions and challenges with technically complete answers and has offended many with his grandiose claims and condescending attitude.

sellerwith:
apparently you aren't a technical person. that's fine, but that's no excuse for not getting the correct and complete information from Gilmore and presenting it here. just because people ask questions and a few might make erroneous comments doesn't give you permission to grandstand, spindoctor, and insult. this isn't the place for self promotion either, since nobody asked about the other stuff you sell. you can consult the moderation guidelines or ask the moderators.

you haven't given factual answers to my questions, so i'll try again:

1. horizontal dispersion. you say -3dB at 60 degrees dispersion (plus or minus 30 degrees, for those reading). At what frequency?

2. vertical dispersion. since when is bass below 500 hz "pretty much omnidirectional"? that's one of the most preposterous statements i've ever heard! first of all, 500 hz is midrange, not bass. if somebody can't tell where a 440 hz tone is coming from, they're probably deaf. care to quantify "pretty much"? engineers don't use that phrase in specifications.

3. comb filtering. you said, "Whatever comb filtering effect is created by our topology, it is less than anyone elses -- not more because of it." the accuracy of that statement is dubious, but that's beside the point. a full range line source has its element(s) aligned without timing anomalies. remember the old beveridge electrostat? before my time and it's been quite a while since hearing a pair, but that's a full range line source. some people might consider the gilmore to be planar.

4. will post a followup on doppler distortion.

5. binding posts and crossovers. i still don't see the binding posts on the ribbons. with each woofer having binding posts, you need to run jumpers about 18" long between them, and since the posts aren't lined up you'll need to bend the wires. not to mention the possible need to buy more cabling for between the woofers, from the woofers to the crossover, and from the ribbon to the crossover. sounds unattractive and a hidden expense. the crossover should be in the pictures.

i agree with merganser's remarks. $20k, not $19k, plus shipping, and then more for other colors, plus the cost of all the jumpers, is a lot for kitchen countertops.
i mentioned 18" jumpers between woofers but that would be based upon a series configuration which may well not be the case. perhaps sellerwith or gilmore himself will say how they are wired.
it's four days later and no response to questions and comments. it makes you wonder why, and how they're going to react when people ask the same things.
I really don't blame Sellerwith... for taking a break. I am beginning to feel sorry for him, like the poor bank loan officer in the Ditech TV ads.
if you want to feel sorry for sellerwith that's your choice but i don't, considering his self-assertiveness, his demeaning characterization of those who express doubts as "silly", and his lack of factual response to all technical questions and challenges. in my experience a customer is treated with kid gloves as a guest and is respected, and the seller is the one who has to earn respect. nobody "owes" the seller anything. quite to the contrary.