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Let's talk Tweeters!

Another thread which talked about specific speaker brands was taken over, so I’d like to start a new one.

Mind you, I do not believe in a "best" type of tweeter, nor do I believe in a best brand of speaker, so lets keep that type of conversation out, and use this instead to focus on learning about choices speaker designers make and what that may mean to the end user.

There is no such thing as a speaker driver without trade offs. Some choices must be forsworn in exchange for another.

In the end, the materials used, magnet and motor structure, and crossover choices as well as the listening room come together to make a great speaker, of which there are many. In addition, we all listen for different things. Imaging, sweetness, warmth, detail, dance-ability and even efficiency so there is no single way to measure a driver and rate it against all others.

Also, please keep ads for your 4th dimensional sound or whatever off this thread. Thanks.
erik_squires
realthing
45 posts
 
I stumbled onto this thread and wanted to add my 2c.

I'm a horn guy, for mid/hi at least. I recently tried the new-kid-on-the-block ring radiator compression drivers (Eminence) since I'd always wanted to try a ring since seeing photos of the 075 looong ago. I put them on small screw-on CD horns I was using already, replacing a good standard-design compression driver. The results were very good. I won't go back.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, though, they can be overbearing. I used a Nelson Pass 'trick' I already employed on my prior drivers in which it was suggested that a certain resistive load in series with the driver, when using an amp that behaves nominally like a voltage source, will simulate the behavior of a current source. I made no attempt to perfectly match anything; I simply used a noninductive 8 ohm power resistor. As with my prior drivers, the 'edge' was taken off. It's not the slight amplitude reduction nor is it anything I see on a scope (either from the amp or from a microphone), and I don't care whether the amp acts as a voltage source or a current source, but the effect is very pleasing, and the new tweeter sounds better than anything I've used prior. It runs from 2400hz on. The crossover is active digital, a 90db/oct FIR filter, just to fill in the details.
erik_squires OP
16,122 posts
 
Hi Realthing,

The article I know of from Pass was about using current sources + EQ circuits for certain types of woofers, in which he felt you would get a better response.

As far as I know, Pass has never attempted to sell all speakers as benefiting from this approach.

Best,

E
ricard1982's avatar
ricard1982
1 posts
 

There is no universal approach to each client. The flexibility of marketing defines success of business in general. It is impossible to stop at nothing. It is necessary to define need of the potential buyer and to give him necessary. Only thus long-term cooperation is formed.

dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Owned many brands of speakers with most of the tweeter types mentioned.  I’ll take a metal dome please.  The crossover has just as much to do with the sound however.  Diamond is also very good.  Most of the other types just can’t get the top end right.
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
I was under the impression that the Pass article was specifically regarding full range single drivers being driven by a solid state voltage source amplifier with a very high damping factor. The so-called resistor trick mimics a lower damping factor which in many cases makes the speaker “think” it’s being driven by a current source. I’m sure there’s a much better technical explanation but this was my takeaway when I read his article several months ago.
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