Omnidirectional speakers. The future?


I have been interested in hi-fi for about 25 years. I usually get the hankering to buy something if it knocks my socks off. Like most I started with a pair of box speakers. Then I heard a pair of Magnepans and was instantly hooked on planars. The next sock knocker was a pair of Soundlabs. I saved until I could afford a pair of Millenium 2's. Sock knocker number 3 was a pair of Shahinian Diapasons (Omnidirectional radiators utilizing multiple conventional drivers pointed in four directions). These sounded as much like real music as anything I had ever heard.
Duke from Audiokinesis seems to be onto the importance of loudspeaker radiation patterns. I don't see alot of other posts about the subject.
Sock knocker number four was a pair of Quad 988's. But wait, I'm back to planars. Or am I? It seems the Quads emmulate a point source by utilizing time delay in concentric rings in the diaphragms. At low volumes, the Quads might be better than my Shahinians. Unfortunately they lack deep bass and extreme dynamics so the Shahinians are still my # 1 choice. And what about the highly acclaimed (and rightly so) Soundlabs. These planars are actually constructed on a radius.
I agree with Richard Shahinian. Sound waves in nature propagate in a polyradial trajectory from their point of source. So then doesn't it seem logical that a loudspeaker should try to emmulate nature?

holzhauer

Showing 1 response by kelton

I love my German Physiks. I have the borderland's they are the acorn congac hi polish finish. They are getting the new ddd's and crossovers. I didnt know how much I miss them until they were out of my room.

They are just very fine. I like to get loud alot of times and I do push my gp's. Works well with a m&k 350 sub ( and also the jbl 4918?

I do prefer horns for loud rock but for some slow jazz or nice classical or just pretty music nothing can beat these speakers. I have friends over that dont have alot of audio knowledge but are usually musicians and they comment on how pretty the music sounds from the german physiks.

The best I have heard was at ces with the loralies(spelling?) with 4 or 6 ddd's and 4 gp subs on each side. You had to get use to the sound but when you did you kept comming back for more. THe other room I really liked was the edgar horn room ( the avantgarde room had a line)

I am interested in the shahinian, for what better dynamics, thats what makes my heart beat fast (anymore)

Kelton