14 Misconceptions Commonly Held About Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers

Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters

Planar magnetic drivers as well as ribbon tweeters and other speakers with dynamic characteristics have several advantages. Their large diaphragms need only just a tiny amount of movement (excursion) which allows them to create the same sound as traditional speakers.

They also feature a dipolar radiation pattern that means they radiate equally to the front and rear of the speaker.

High-Resolution Sound

They are known for producing precise, detailed sound effects. They are known for their high-resolution and reveal subtle nuance in the music that other drivers can't reproduce or show.

In addition to their impressive accuracy in sound reproduction, planar and ribbon drivers offer superior soundstaging that allow them to create an expansive soundstage with exceptional clarity. This makes them a great option for audiophiles and home audiophiles who wish to enjoy their music to the maximum extent possible.

One of the most important characteristics of ribbon and planar drivers is their dipole radiation pattern which radiates equal energy front and back, inverted phase to create an incredibly spacious and natural soundstage. This, along with their broad dispersion, makes them ideal for large rooms, as they can fill the room with a a broad and natural soundstage, without causing unnatural reflections off furniture and walls.

Planar magnetic drivers have a quick response time that allows them to reproduce transients more precisely and faster than cone drivers. This results in a crisp and detailed sound even at higher frequencies.

Planar magnetic drivers are known for their low distortion. It is because they don't use a voice-coil rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragm to move without creating vibrations that could cause unwanted distortion.

In addition, the gap between the magnets in a planar magnetic iem driver is much larger than in a traditional cone speaker. This provides a higher bass performance and a higher frequency response at lower levels of amplitude.

While many of the benefits of planar magnetic drivers are appealing however, they have some limitations that need to be considered. They can be expensive and require more power compared to other types of speakers. They are also heavy which makes it difficult to fit into specific spaces. They are also sensitive to the acoustics of the room, and require extensive treatment of the room in order to ensure optimal performance. There are methods to reduce the problems. For instance, you can add an attenuation resistance (provided with speakers) and place it in the attenuation setting. You can also apply a variety of room treatment.

Wide Dispersion

Similar to electrostatic speakers, planar magnetic speakers produce sound by regulating the electrical current that flows through wires suspended between magnets. They vibrate a flat, conductive membrane directly, instead of using an electrostatic charge. This allows for greater surface area and greater precision. This allows them to be built into smaller and less expensive headsets and speakers as opposed to electrostatic models.

In addition to offering broad dispersion, planar drivers provide superior clarity and image of soundstage, especially in the higher frequencies where they excel. This is a huge benefit for audiophiles who enjoy listening to their favorite music or films in an expansive living room or any other open space.

Planar drivers also can produce a very deep bass, as they can be augmented with boxed subwoofers attached to or separated from the membrane that resembles a ribbon. This is in contrast to traditional cone-type speaker woofers that are usually located at the bottom of the cabinet, a position that is not able to reproduce bass frequencies due to the physical limitations of the enclosure that houses the woofer.

Another advantage of a planar driver is its exceptionally low distortion that is directly related to the size and length of the diaphragm, which is shaped like a ribbon. A planar speaker is able to produce a high volume of sound without distortion. This is why the sound quality is so clear and precise.

Dynamic drivers found in conventional headphones and speakers typically show significant distortion when they are driven to their maximum limit of excursion. This is why dynamic drivers often create a booming or hollow sound.

In addition, planar magnetic drives are also extremely efficient. They require less energy to drive, which results in lower power consumption and environmental impact. Furthermore, their diaphragms typically made of lighter materials than standard speakers, which reduces the amount of energy required for them to generate a given sound pressure.

Many audiophiles have heard of planar/ribbon speakers such as those manufactured by Magnepan Infinity and Apogee Acoustics. However, there is a brand new available. New planar loudspeakers by manufacturers like Clarisys Audio and Diptyque, for instance, feature the latest advances in ribbon technology.

Low Distortion

Since planar magnetic speakers do not have a conventional cone or dome-shaped diaphragm, they produce extremely low distortion. This is due to their unique design which eliminates the voice coil inductance which is associated with dynamic driver drivers for speakers. (See U.S. patent 6,353,560). This assures that the diaphragm always in phase with the magnetic field surrounding it, resulting in an output that is constant. Distortion is generally only noticeable when large waveforms are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnet driver, distortion is virtually absent in all frequencies that go beyond the bass.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers can be very efficient and noise cancelling have a very low distortion. This means that the drive requires less power than other types of speakers. This in turn translates to lower cost of ownership and reduced energy consumption.

Planar magnetic drivers also have a significantly lower distortion than traditional dynamic speakers and even less for electrostatic speakers. This is due to the diaphragm that is flat in a planar magnetic driver has conductor trace which allows it to respond to magnetic fields created by magnets located on either side of it.

The two magnets need to be carefully positioned so that the voice element stays in the magnetic field optimally throughout the time. This is what allows magnetic drivers that are planar to function at a very consistent level across all frequencies higher than bass.

There are numerous other advantages of planar magnetic drivers, the most notable is that they can to be designed to be either dipole (radiating equally and in opposite phases both in front and closed back planar magnetic headphones of the speaker like an ESL) or monopole (radiating forward, similar to the traditional dynamic). This allows for an array of possible designs, noise cancelling especially when combined with ribbon tweeters.

A variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers are available today from manufacturers such as Hifiman, Dan Clark, Audeze and Fostex. Each company has their own signature sound that results from their patented driver designs and other technological innovations. These speakers are distinguished by their incredible detail and dynamic as well as their controlled directionality.

High Power Handling

Planar magnetic speakers can handle more power than traditional moving coil dynamic drivers without the audible strain and stress that they may cause. This is because the "voice coil" is distributed over an expansive area instead of being squeezed into a tiny gap between the basket and cone like traditional dynamic drivers. This gives the voice-coil more surface area to absorb any heat.

Another reason why planar magnetic drivers are able to handle such a large amount of power is because they have the smallest mass when compared to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers employ diaphragms with heavy, thick diaphragms that are a tenth of a pound larger and heavier than the diaphragms made of ultra-light and thin materials employed in planar magnetic drivers. Due to their massive mass, conventional diaphragms need a greater amount of force to move backwards and forwards (a measurement called excursion) to create a certain level of sound pressure.

They aren't able to be driven nearly as much as a planar magnetic driver, because the voice coil will start to produce significant distortion. Therefore, it is essential to purchase loudspeakers that are rated for the amplifier you intend to use.

The high excursion of a planar magnetic driver also allows it to generate a much wider soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the diaphragm vibrates in a uniform and flat way to create an asymmetrical wavefront, not the spherical wavefront common with traditional drivers. This wider soundstage increases the accuracy and clarity of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances as well as more complex sounds.

The downside to the superior power handling capabilities of planar magnetic drivers is that they are typically more expensive to produce and require stronger amplifiers in order to operate at maximum capacity. They can be massive and heavy which can make it difficult to install in certain settings. They also have a low bass response, meaning that you may need to add a subwoofer your system in order to get a satisfying result at lower frequencies.