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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 rsimms

rsimms
150 posts
 
I have Salk SoundScapes with Accuton midranges. Looking at the Accuton driver’s frequency response, I can see how the key to getting great sound from ceramics is a great crossover. Many speakers do not have crossovers that good. My SoundScapes have a great crossover. The frequency response is very flat. They sound very natural. I have the speakers playing all day long and get no fatigue.

My tubed Aesthetix Calypso preamp makes magic with these speakers with Telefunken tubes. They are very natural sounding. The transparency is as good as I have heard on any speaker. That being said, I can see that others might prefer colorations that other cone materials might bring. That has to be a personal decision. My previous speakers had Seas Excel Magnesium midrange/woofers. They added an excitement to the music that I loved. The speakers, that I had before them, had Audax TPX cones. They added a bloom to strings that was to die for. That bloom was not there in live music. You have to decide what you want.

Bob
rsimms
150 posts
 
I think the comments about speakers with Accuton drivers sounding thin are due to a preference of speakers that have bloom. My Salks, with Accuton midranges, sound very transparent and have little bloom. I use them in their open baffle mode and use a tube preamp to give them bloom. That is a magical combination. I am very grateful to the quality of their sound. I just want to kneel in front of my speakers and kiss the carpet in worship.

Bob
rsimms
150 posts
 
"Need to be careful mixing different materials because of this sonic signature. Best to use the same material 150Hz and above."

Audioconnection, I don't agree on your last point. My Salks have a RAAL ribbon tweeter and it matches up very well. The sound just gets even clearer and smoother when it transitions to the ribbon at 2k.

Bob
rsimms
150 posts
 
Audioconnection,

For a very short while you had me thinking that you might be right. As a trained physicist, any such ringing would be resonances that would show up in the frequency response curve. The RAAL’s frequency response curve is as flat as a ruler. I am sure that there is some ringing but it must be in the ultrasonic region. Even my dog doesn't seem to hear that high.

Bob
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