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Gilmore Audio planars revealed

The Gilmore Audio speaker have finally been photographed for the world to see: Gilmore Audio

Disclaimer - I'm a dealer for the Gilmores, though at this point I'm still awaiting my first pair, as they haven't begun shipping yet.

The Gilmores push the edge of the envelope for planar technology in several areas. Innovations include an extremely thin (3 mil) Kapton diaphragm; bass extension to below 20 Hz; easy 8-ohm load combined with 92 dB efficiency (you can drive 'em with Atma-Sphere M-60's!); and maximum output level in the mid to upper 120's.

Designer Mark Gilmore is the webmaster of the Atma-Sphere Owner's Group website, as well as of the Sound Lab Owner's Group site. He's been around for a while, but this is his first commercial loudspeaker design (to the best of my knowledge).

I haven't heard 'em yet so can't comment on the sound (I know, that's all that really matters after all). I'm expecting a pair before the end of the year, and will post comments then.

Duke
audiokinesis
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Duke & Sellerwithintegrity,

Sorry for addressing my last post to you Duke. It was, in fact meant for Sellerwithintegrity.
audiokinesis OP
2,724 posts
 
Hello Metralla -

Thanks for taking the time to write back and clarify your stadium wave post. I'm a bit slow sometimes, and didn't understand that the point you were making was about the particles returning to equilibrium position, which of course the familiar stadium wave illustrates perfectly.

On the matter of truth versus good ad copy, that's a tougher issue. I agree that if Gilmore Audio's claim of a diaphragm lighter than the air it displaces is true, then it can only be true at certain frequencies and volume levels. I'm not engineer enough to know the measurement and calculation protocols behind such a claim - maybe they're straightforward, and maybe not. The ideal would be a complete set of data qualifying all such claims, though in the end we'd still have to rely on our ears to tell us which set of compromises sounds the most natural under our anticipated listening conditions.

Obviously, you think things through pretty thoroughly. If I should ever come out with my own speaker, I'll run my claims by you first!

Hello Lugnut,

Again thanks for taking the time to write back. No problem at all with the name thing; I just didn't want people to think I was posting under two names, nor to take undue credit for doing hard time in the hotseat.

Best wishes to both of you.

Duke
steved
30 posts
 
Duke, thanks for your reasoned response. Your explanation of the the high QTS drivers, the excursion limited lows and the vertical dispersion accord perfectly with my experience with ribbons and dynamic dipole bass.

Best of luck with the speakers.
planar
11 posts
 
thanks for your responses, duke. where is sellerwith's reply about these and other questions?

vertical dispersion: they cut off above and below the ribbon. i wasn't sure but you just confirmed it. this may not be noticed by some on the model 2 but will be noticed on the smaller model 3.

i don't agree the horizontal comb filtering is of negligible significance when it approaches 1/4 wavelength. in the horizontal plane it's more perceivable. people go to lots of trouble to get phase coherency. http://www.linkwitzlab.com/frontiers.htm#J says a lot on the subject.
steved
30 posts
 
Wel, at least they are thick skinned. Imagine my surprise thumbing through the latest Absolute Sound when I see a three page ad for the Gilmores. Still making the same suspect claims of course, but using even worse creative. I've worked in advertising for 20+ years, but this sexist, moronic attempt to sell most likely good speakers makes me want to gag.

If Mr Gilmore 'Audio Guru' is reading this, change your advertising. You are making yourself a joke.
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