Is the Accuton driver that good?


It seems a lot of new speakers are using the Accuton or similar ceramic drivers (and I notice the diamond variant for tweeters). I've heard them (mainly in Kharmas), but not others. Evolution, Salk, Avalon, and like I said Kharma use them.
Do they have any particular coloration or quality that is making them gain popularity? In the Kharmas, it was pace and timing and a natural sound without overhang, but it was different than regular (non-metallic) cones & domes, which, fwiw, are less detailed but maybe more relaxing.
It's like for me with the Kharmas "this sounds great and real and not bright or hard either" but somehow it is not as relaxing as the Aerials or Von Schweikerts or Quad dynamics(or even Apogees) I have lived with). I can't put my finger on it.

I'm not sure if it was just the Kharmas or the ceramics in general, but I wanted to raise the question.
rgs92

Showing 4 responses by devilboy

Andro: I don't think the solution to ceramics is a preamp, (as stated in my above post). They, IMO, are cold and uninvolving.
I ran my ceramic drivers on a Bent Audio autoformer passive preamp and my friend runs his ceramic drivers with a music first transformer passive preamp and neither system sounds natural or "organic". I highly recommend a PHY driver if you want those characteristics. My advice: don't be "suckered in" to the ceramics. They fool you early, but prove themselves hard to listen to in the long run.
I've owned speakers with Accuton drivers and have a friend who has a speaker with them and the diamond tweeter. I believe the thing that makes them so appealing AT FIRST, is because of their low mass, they are very quick which makes them very nice during the "10 minute demo" as I call it. This impresses many people giving them the impression they are accurate. I like a more organic and natural sound and, IN MY OPINION, the ceramic drivers are far from organic and natural. If I'm going to listen to ceramic drivers, I would put tubes on them. Personally, I'd stay away from solid state. Just my opinion. YMMV.
Most speakers with Accuton drivers don't seem to be efficient enough for a 300B. But hey, I'd love to hear it.