Kef vented tweeter

Two things very important to keep straight: there's technology, and there's implementation.

Give you an example as far outside audio as possible so as to minimize audiophile mental syndrome.

Rear engine rear drive is just a horrible technology. Nobody today builds a rear engine rear drive car. Except Porsche. Who has for 60 years used it in what is undeniably the worlds most successful sports car design ever. The technology is so awful even Porsche, when they set out to build something new, never ever goes back to rear engine rear drive. From the Boxster to the Cayman, to the Carrera GT to the 919 Spyder, its all mid-engine. Because mid-engine design is superior technology, hands down. Except they set a production car Nurburgring lap record with a rear engine rear drive GT2RS. Because implementation and technology are two very different things.

So waste your time chasing slotted matrix cryo six nines yada yada all you want. Whatever. Its not the technology. Its the implementation.

You only have to drive the Porsche to know. With speakers I recommend you listen. At least until Chris Harris starts reviewing speakers.

PS - When I say top of the line AMT, I mean the best from Mundorf or Beyma. Definitely not the $30 parts from Parts Express.

Hi Jerry,
I'd have to know a lot more about how you designed the crossovers. DIYaudio's multi-way forum is a better place for that.

As single drivers, I will put up the top of the line AMT's with the best drivers from anywhere else. Smooth, amazing dynamic range and low distortion, not to mention power handling and lack of stored energy. The best are some of the best drivers you can buy.

But, integrating with panel speakers is another matter. You have to match the crossover, phase and dispersion. Trying to use a single drover AMT with a line or panel is going to be very difficult. A better match up would be a line of AMT's , similar in concept to the Infinity RS series.


When I mentioned Linkwitz, he did not do line arrays, but multi-way dipoles. I think in that case a good AMT might have been better than 2 domes.

Best,
E

Kef has come a long way with that tweeter! my R105/3 tweeter wasn't much bigger than a bottle cap with a pole to accept the mounting screw attached to the center of the back of it and the spl and resolution it was capable of was really impressive, the progress since then has really been to managed the sibilance from the early design. 

Erik, curious about your Heil AMT comment.  I have been listening to Heils since 1974.  AMT4's were my first encounter.  Several Large Heils were bought and sold,and also the newwer thinner 4's.  Gave away a pair of ring Heils in a modded Pioner CS33 along with new MTX woofers and a Radio Shack 2 way xover.  The Heils  just don't  interface with my Magnepan MMGs nor the ML Claritys.  Your thoughts please?   Thank you.

Jerry

Polk Audio in the late 70's vented the Peerless tweeter they used in those decades..same rationale..Days of Furure Past all over again..Tom

Hey @mapman

AMT's are inherently dipoles. You can get them without a rear chamber. I'm actually a little surprised I never saw the late Dr. Linkwitz rely on them for his speaker kits.

Best,
E

Yes I can hear a similarity with Focals I have heard. B&W Nautilus is pricey.

What other tweeter designs address this particular issue I wonder? Any similar to KEF with concentric driver design? I like that for coherent sound as well especially when speakers are not far from listening position.

What speakers in similar price range as these KEFs  use "Open back AMT"? I’ve heard Goldenears using folded ribbon tweets...very smooth.

My first good speakers 40+ years ago were Lafayettes with Heil AMTs I coveted at the time. Smooth but could not keep those heils from getting fried regularly way back then.

The more I read the more the Uni-q design in general strikes me as a quite unique winning one.

Not very new. From the B&W nautilus, to the Focal Sopra line, there have been different approaches taken to minimize the opportunity of the radiated back-wave from influencing the sound.

What I like about the KEF, from what little I've seen, is the motor seems to be more substantial than average from this type of design.

For the ultimate in this, try an open back AMT. :)

Best,
E