Hi Gregm..my speakers uses a Baffle step correction circuit that smooths out the 5khz bump. There's also no shout as with most wide range drivers. Yes I agree ..it's not the tweeters but the way some are used. I really have nothing against a separate tweeter .As long as it has the proper crossover.
Ring radiator tweeters - the future?
A technology developed by Scanspeak that hasn't penetrated the audiophile market, but Polk started using them - and their fans say it produces better high end within the same price range. A brief froogle reveals JBL offers them as components. Could this technology end the perpetual silk dome vs. titanium dome debate?
Showing 10 responses by gmood1
I hope Ring radiator tweeters aren't the future. Since I don't use tweeters at all. LOL Infact I never plan to use them again, unless my upper frequency hearing gets so bad to where I have no choice but to bump up the dBs in this area. Look at where the heart of music is on this chart. I've discovered myself some tweeters add artificiality to the music in certain cases. Musical Instrument Range Chart . If your speakers can't get this part of the frequency range right. Who cares about a tweeter? |
Themadmilkman, Yes I can see your point, but I also know I have no use for a tweeter at the present time. I hear plenty of tones and overtones without having what some consider tweeters drilling it into my head.;-) I also don't have to worry about hearing the highs before the rest of the frequency. Some have become so accustom to it. They wouldn't know correct timing if it were on their wrist. I'm willing to bet your vandie's highs start to roll off above 2000hz and continue to roll off to their stated high frequency range cutoff. From the professional reviews describing this speaker "the 1Cs were somewhat hazy and veiled, particularly from the midrange on up". Comments like this leads me to believe the speakers are rolled off quite a bit... Even with the help of a tweeter. So you're not hearing as high as you think you are my friend. I've had speakers that did the 40Khz thing. Yes they had the WOW factor but also became more irritating to my ears than what it's worth. I've not heard this model of Polks. Maybe it's better than all the other models I've heard. Which were all boom and sizzle..just my honest opinion. As long as a speaker covers my hearing range . Which is realistically 20hz to 16khz...I'm a happy camper. I have no use for the hash that lies above this point. Whether it comes with a tweeter or not this is the range that is most important too me. Cheers |
Eldartford, Unless you've heard a recent wide range driver. There's no way for me to make you understand that you can't hear the HF noise if it exists. Actually I've tested the response of this driver with a digital SPL meter(maybe not the best tool but it gives you an idea). I still had output at 20Khz. I couldn't hear past 16 or 17khz. The meter was still measuring past my hearing threshold. If you've spent anytime with a good single driver you might change your mind on the theories. I love the Magenepans for what they do..not knocking them. They just don't have the resolution of a good single driver...sorry. After spending many hrs with a SD you can easily hear how some crossovers veil the sound and screw up the timing if not designed properly. The driver in my speaker is outputting only the midrange and highs from the cone. The cabinet is what produces the bass.The cabinet doesn't have much effect on the drivers above 200 or 300Hz. You need to read up on Martin King and Bob Brines worksheets. These aren't your average single drivers ..not by a mile. Does this driver look like it rolls off at 10khz? Fostex F200A FR chart. No speaker is perfect. I give up high spls above 100 dB . Not a problem since I never listen at these levels any way. |
Eldartford, This is why there's a BSC and zobel used in this speaker. It does away with the 10dB hump. It has a very smooth response through the 4 to 5khz area. You can tweak it just by changing a resistor depending on your room. A good internet friend uses tractrix line design. He claims it's the closes to not having a box as he has heard. I've never heard a tractix speaker but it sounds interesting. I can assure you that the MLTL has a very non-boxey sound. I do like the magnepans for this... the MLTL is no different. It just has a tremendous amount of oomhp. Trust me..weak bass is the last thing you'll be worried about. After having several types of speakers. My ears aren't being fooled by this speaker...I assure you. They have the smoothest response I've heard in my home. Too bad you don't live closer..I could change your mind very easily about this type of speaker. It makes all the horn loaded speakers I've heard sound like toys. |
Here's a qoute from a owner of the same speaker that lives in NYC. He's right on the money with his description. Bemopti123 Hi Ray, thanks for the compliment of the preamp. I will attempt to describe how it sounds. The system has a "robust" signature. I mean, hearty sound, taut, slamming bass that it has got to be heard to be believed, especially from an 8" driver. I believe that the robust signature comes from the alnico factor of the driver. If you have heard Tannoy coaxials...the Turnberry, it sounds close like it, but the FTAs are more seamless, more transparent when the source calls. FM via the system, especially due to the Mcintosh, it sounds very organic, once again, with gobs of presence. The FTAs do not sound midrangey, as some single fullrange drivers, if not the vast majority of them sound like. When I put some vinyl, you can hear more of the slam and also harshness, if the vinyl recording was badly made. Depending of the CD track, it can sound bloody awesome, or simple pedestrian. It depends of the recording. What is most amazing about the system is the idiocyncratic mix of really expensive components with things are are plainly DIY oriented, such as the Scott Nixon sound better than it should ever be. I have tried something interesting, an idea I got from people who have a single source system, that is I ran the Shigaraki transport, DAC into EVS Ultimate Attenuators and then, into the monoblocks. From there, it all went to 47 Labs OTA and into the FTAs. There was a difference in signature, but it was about 90% of what I have heard with the preamp. |
"I'm not sure it requires any math?" Oh contray..how wrong you are. Construction and Measurement of a Simple Test Transmission Line. A Mathematical Model for an Expanding Fiber Damped Transmission Line The Calculation Algorithm Derivation and Correlation of the Viscous Damping Coefficient Advanced Transmission Line Modeling Techniques Does it look like you're just throwing a driver in a box? I agree some SDs aren't bass or dynamic monsters. There are some that do large scale very well..most aren't commercially manufactured though. Also the consumer must decide what kind of bass they want to live with. Do they want 50hz bass hump kinda of bass or real honest bass with low distortion that adds as little as possible to the original recording? Cheers |
Yes you're correct they aren't. Although the links supplied are exclusive to SD designs not multi ways. To give you an idea..this is comparing apples to oranges. I'll use the Paradigm 100v2 and v3 speakers because they are so widely sold. I've also spent enough time with them to judge them well. The Paradigm 100v3 is a five driver three way speaker. They will play much louder than my FTAs.One of the things they can't do is compete with the FTAs in bass/weight extention. That's right..the single 8 inch driver in a MLTL cabinet makes this 5 driver speaker sound like a welterweight in the bass department that put on too many pounds. In other words the 100v3 sounds slow, sluggish and light in the bass by comparison...believe it or not. |
Eldartford, I was wondering if you ever considered the Silver Iris OB 15" Coaxial drivers. I know their not true FRs but do look very interesting. The cost to build your own doesn't look overly expensive either. I'm sure you have the skills to make them look like the Hawthorne OBs... If not better.Cdc this may be something for you to checkout as well. Space has to be a consideration also as these things need room to breath. This shouldn't be a problem for Eldartford as his room is very large. From past post he seems to like his woofers big.LOL He could use his Digital EQ as the crossover between the woofer and the tweeter. |