11 Creative Ways To Write About Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers
Planar Magnetic Loudspeakers and Ribbon Tweeters
Planar magnetic drivers such as ribbon tweeters, and other dynamic speakers offer several advantages. Their large diaphragms only require a small amount of movement (excursion) and allow them to produce the same sound quality as an ordinary speaker.
They also have dipolar radiation patterns meaning that they radiate equally in front and behind the speaker.
High-Resolution Sound
They are known for their precise, clear sounds. They are known for their high-resolution, revealing subtle variations in music that other drivers are unable to reproduce or reveal.
Ribbon and planar drivers aren't just accurate, but also offer superior soundstages, allowing them to reproduce a large soundstage with exceptional clarity. Audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts as well as audiophiles will find them be an excellent choice.
Planar and ribbon drivers are distinguished by their dipole pattern. This pattern emits equal amounts of energy front and back in an inverted phase that creates a natural soundstage. This, combined with their large dispersion makes them ideal for large rooms, as they can fill the room with wide and natural soundstage, while avoiding unwanted reflections off furniture and walls.
Planar magnetic drivers also have a rapid response time, which enables them reproduce transients with more precision and speed than traditional cone drivers. This results in a crisp and clear sound, even at high frequencies.
Planar magnetic drivers are recognized for their low distortion. This is because they do not use an actual voice coil, but rather an electrostatic field. This allows the diaphragm to move, without creating vibrations that could cause unwanted distortion.
Additionally, the distance between the magnets in the planar driver is larger than that of a traditional cone speaker. This results in a better bass performance and a greater frequency response at low amplitudes.
Despite their many advantages planar magnetic drivers do have some limitations to be aware of. For example, they can be expensive and require more power than other types of speakers. They can also be bulky and make difficult to fit into specific areas. They can also be sensitive to the acoustics in the room, and require extensive treatment of the room in order to get the best performance. There are ways to minimize the issues. For instance you can add an attenuation resistance (provided with speakers) and set it in the attenuation setting. You can also apply a variety of room treatments.
Wide Dispersion
Planar magnetic speakers also create sound by regulating electrical currents that travel through wires that are suspended between magnets. They vibrate a flat, conductive membrane directly, not using an electrostatic charge. This results in an increased surface area and greater precision. This operation principle allows for the construction of them into smaller, more affordable headphones and speakers than electrostatic models.
In addition to providing wide dispersion, planar drivers offer superior imaging and clarity of soundstages, particularly in the upper frequencies where they excel. This is a great benefit for audiophiles that enjoy watching music or films on large screens or in an open space.
Planar drivers can also provide a very deep bass, as they can be augmented with subwoofers in boxes that are attached to or separated from the membrane that resembles a ribbon. This is contrary to conventional cone-type speaker woofers, which are typically located in the bottom of the cabinet, a position which is unable to reproduce bass frequencies because of the physical constraints of the enclosure for the woofer.
Another benefit of the planar driver is that it has exceptionally low distortion that is directly related to the size and the excursion of the ribbon-like diaphragm. This means that a planar speaker can produce an enormous amount of sound with little distortion, which is why it can produce such crisp and precise reproduction.
In contrast, the dynamic drivers used in conventional speakers and headphones typically show significant levels of distortion when they are driven to the limits of extreme excursion. This is why dynamic drivers often produce a boomy or hollow sound.
Additionally, planar magnetic drivers are also extremely efficient. They require less energy to drive, resulting in a reduced energy consumption and impact on the environment. In addition, their diaphragms are typically made of lighter materials than conventional speakers, which reduces the amount of energy needed for them to generate a given sound pressure.
While many audiophiles are acquainted with planar/ribbon loudspeakers - particularly the ones made by Magnepan, Infinity, and Apogee Acoustics - a new generation of brands is entering the market. For example new planar loudspeakers coming from manufacturers such as Diptyque and Clarisys Audio are incorporating the latest advancements in ribbon technology.
Low Distortion
Since planar magnetic speakers don't feature a cone- or dome shaped diaphragm they produce extremely low distortion. This is the direct consequence of their unique design which eliminates the voice coil inductance that is associated with conventional dynamic speakers (see U.S. Patent 6,353,560). This assures that the diaphragm not out of phase with the magnetic field that surrounds it, which results in an output that is constant. In general, distortion only occurs when high-amplitude waveforms are reproduced. With a single-ended planar magnetic driver, distortion is virtually nonexistent at all frequencies above bass.
In addition to their low distortion and low distortion, planar magnetic loudspeakers provide extremely high efficiency. This lets the drive use much less energy than other technologies for speakers. This results in lower cost of ownership and less energy consumption.
Planar magnetic drivers also have a significantly lower distortion compared to conventional dynamic speakers, and even less than 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 the magnets that are on the opposite side of it.
These two magnets must be carefully positioned to ensure that the voice element is optimally located within the magnetic field at all times. This is what allows planar magnetic drivers to perform in a linear manner at all frequencies above bass.
Planar magnetic drivers have many other advantages, but the most important is that they can be designed as dipoles (radiating in opposite phases and equally behind and in front of the speaker like an ESL), or Monopoles (radiating in the direction of travel similar to traditional dynamic speakers). This permits a wide range of designs, particularly when paired with a ribbon-tweeter.
There are a variety of planar magnetic loudspeakers that are available today, from brands such as Hifiman Dan Clark Audeze and Fostex. Each manufacturer has its own signature sound that is the result of their unique driver configurations as well as other innovations in engineering. These speakers are characterized by their amazing clarity and dynamic as well as their controlled directionality.
High Power Handling

Planar magnetic speakers can handle a lot more power than traditional moving coil dynamic drivers without the tension and strain they may cause. The "voice coil" is not squeezed into the narrow space between the baskets and cones like in traditional dynamic drivers. Instead, click the next web page is spread across a larger area. This gives the voice coil an increased surface area to disperse any heat.
Another reason that planar drivers are able to handle such a large amount of power is due to having the smallest mass when in comparison to conventional drivers. Dynamic drivers employ thick, heavy diaphragms that are orders of magnitude larger and thicker than diaphragms made of ultra-light and thin materials used in planar magnetic drivers. Because of their high mass, conventional diaphragms require a much larger amount of force to move back and forth (a measure called excursion) in order to produce the same level of sound pressure.
As a result they aren't able to be used as hard as a planar magnetic driver could because the voice coil will begin to generate substantial amounts of distortion. Therefore, it is essential to purchase loudspeakers that are rated for the amplifier you plan to use.
The high excitation of a planar magnetic driver also allows it to create a larger soundstage than conventional drivers. This is because the entire diaphragm vibrates to create an even, flat wavefront instead of the more centered spherical wavefront found in conventional drivers. This wider soundstage increases the accuracy and details of the speakers and allows them to reproduce subtle nuances and more complex sounds.
The downside of the superior power handling offered by planar magnetic drives is that they tend to be more costly to produce and require more powerful amplifiers to operate to their maximum capacity. They can be large and heavy, making it difficult to install in certain environments. They also have a lower bass response, meaning that you may have to add a subwoofer your system in order to achieve satisfying results at lower frequencies.