Is there a difference between ribbon tweeters and domed?

drummerman

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Not a bad analogy, the spirit level.

Like the above, ribbon drivers and their derivatives are best used in a certain plane and are usually more directional than domes.

I dont think one is necesseraly better than the others. Dali for example have dropped the ribbon for certain higher end models and gone with a conventional dome. Their dual moduls, dome and ribbon on one plate have on occasions measured dubious and evoked mixed reviewer reactions.

It can also be more difficult to integrate a ribbon seemlessly but I personally wouldn't get to hung up about it, just as I dont care whether its a metal or fabric dome as long as it is a good one.

regards
 

busb

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They remind me of those plastic-clad multi-bladed thingies for shredding runner beans! IIRC, they have a flatter f response which may or may not be a good thing as far as X over design is concerned. However, there must be some disadvantages for them not to be used in more speakers
 

hoopsontoast

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Yes, there is a big difference. Dome tweeters use a moving voice coil which is attached to the fabric/paper/metal dome itself. This coil moves in the magnetic gap backwards and forwards inside a magnet. Much the same as most mid-bass drivers.

In a ribbon tweeter, you have a very thin sheet of metal (flat or corrugated) that is suspended between the two opposing magnets and fed the signal directly via a transformer.

Like anything, there are lots of different types of panel speakers including Planar, Electrostatic, Isodynamic and Ribbon, all slightly different in their implementation.

EDIT- as mentioned above, most ribbon (or most panel speakers) have a flat impedance which makes crossover integration very easy but they are usually low impedance but due to the large surface area and low weight they can have very high efficiency. They also have great impulse response and low stored energy so sound very open and dynamic, especially the open back/open baffle types.

Main downsides are lower power handling, require steep crossover filters and poor vertical dispersion. This dispersion is what is most difficult to integrate with a Moving Coil mid-bass. Its also more difficult to get a flat frequency response/even dispersion from them and they tend to beam a bit when you get larger ribbon lengths.
 

Singslinger

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For my main listening, I use the ProAc K6 which employs a ribbon tweeter. I find it offers extended highs which sound more delicate and detailed than when produced by the conventional domed variety.

However, I didn't pick the speaker because of its tweeter, rather, its wonderful, seamless sound.
 

WinterRacer

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Zaphaudio compared a few ribbon tweeters to a dome. Full information here : http://www.zaphaudio.com/nondomes/

Ribbon tweeters

Aurum Cantus G3Si ($213)

LCY 130 ($199)

Fountek NeoCD2.0 ($118)

Bohlender Graebener Neo3 PDR ($55 w/flange)

Silver Flute YAG20-1 ($40)

Dome tweeter

Vifa D26NC55 ($29)

Findings

Vifa D26NC55 ($29) - This cheap little dome tweeter outperforms everything here except for the B&G Neo3 PDR in the non-linear distortion department. It works well at 2kHz like the B&G, but has ever so slightly higher HD everywhere else. On the other hand, this tweeter beats the Neo3PDR in response smoothness and the resulting smooth CSD. (full results shown in the Tweeter Mishmash)

Summary

None of the three true ribbons have very distinguished performance. They are more similar than different. But if I had to choose one, it would probably be the Fountek NeoCD2.0 because of it's durable ribbon, smooth response and clean top end performance. I'm not sure if I could live with that vertical off axis response, as I occasionally don't like to be locked in to sitting ear height. Generally, these ribbons do not live up to their price and hype. This point is driven home by their comparison to the cheap little Vifa neo dome.

None of the true ribbons, when used one at a time, should be used below 2.5kHz. The higher you cross them, the better you will avoid low end distortion. On the other hand, these are all large flanged tweeters, and as you cross higher, lobing at Fc becomes worse.

I often hear people babble on about the shimmer, sparkle and air of ribbon tweeters. These tests show where these "special effects" are coming from - distortion. Ribbons do have a unique distortion profile that many will find enjoyable with some music. That's OK, and it does not have to relfect badly on your "golden ear" status. However, if accuracy to the original signal is what you are after, one of these ribbons may not be the best solution. Ribbons are certainly not the best solution if you want to build a high-value system. Those building line arrays may want to take a good hard look at one of the longer B&G elements.

The B&G and Silver Flute are both planar designs, but they are also polar opposites. The YAG20 is probably one of the worst performers I've ever seen, while the B&G performs on level with the best domes. It's hard to say what went wrong and what went right in their designs. Folks, we have a winner - The Bohlender Graebener Neo3 PDR.
 

CnoEvil

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PP, I think you will find they split opinion, just like everything else in hi-fi.

Some describe them as fast, airy, detailed and sweet; while others find the treble too "hot" and a little artificial sounding.

I think they are more expensive to make, as well as more difficult to get the design correctly implemented. I also believe they have worse off axis response than a dome.

Most of the big manufacturers steer clear, but like anything else, where the designer knows exactly what they are doing, they can sound well...but it is usually in the more expensive models where it works best. Like everything else, it can sound pretty bad, but also great.....but it is one of those "suck it and see" things.
 

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