Tweeter Quest

My electrostatic headphones dont need external power source.

Ah well philosophically electrostatic seems like the best idea.

 

What headphones are they? Electrostatics need very high voltage so they have transformers to step up the signal and then they also need a steady supply of power to charge the plates. Stax for example, need their own amps to power them.

 

akg340 - dynamic bass unit but ES for the rest.

 

Hmm they refer to it as a fixed charge electrostatic. It sounds more like it is really an Electret Condenser mic is reverse! Something that I guess would work for low level but not really suitable for high SPL's. Very nice idea for headphones though.

 

Could be - what about a plasma tweeter? Shame about the deadly ozone!

 

How much for a pair of raals?

 

Hi BBV,

It may be tricky to find a tweeter quite as slow as the big and heavy mid and bass drivers in your PMC's. You may be better off leaving the tweeter you have in place.

It might sound confusing to have a tweeter fitted that was actually able to replay low level information at the same time as playing loud. It just wouldn't match your main drivers and you obviously enjoy that type of presentation.

rgds,

Murray

 

They only need to be fast enough to portray 380 hz and 3.8 khz.

I suggest you come and listen murray - bring some sauce to go with that hat

 

http://www.cadenceaudio.com/ use electrostatic mid/teetwer panels along with dynamic driver bass end. Actually the last one I heard (a fair while ago) sounded pretty good.

The reason it's not a popular move is the same problem you get trying to add subs to Quads - integration. I also suspect that the low sensitivity of electrostatic units (and ribbons) would present a problem with matching the rest of BB's PMC system in terms of limited power handling.

 

Good point. I was wondering about that but couldnt find a seperate drive unit for sale with specs. I suspect this may be why, in which case ribbon is looking like the only way.

 

Hi BBV,

I have heard the full PMC/Bryston rig at a dealers showroom in Germany. Let's just say that it wasn't my cup of tea. I prefer a more lively, natural presentation of music.

rgds,

Murray

 

Each to his own - which one did you hear?

One mans natural is another mans distortion

 

Hi BBV,

As I recall it was a 3 way with 2 large bass drivers a dome mid and the tweeter. There seemed to be about 6 power amplifiers driving them of which I think 4 were monoblocks.(maybe for the bass drivers?)

Sources were a Brinkmann turntable and the Weiss transport & DAC.

Once I'd managed to convince the guy that not everyone likes to listen to American rock music at stadium levels he left me alone and I was able to listen to them at more sensible levels with some of my own discs.

I felt that on chamber music and some Indian classical music they were quite weak, lacking the subtlety needed to get the music's intent across.

With larger orchestral pieces they were better but strings and brass still sounded wrong. Solo piano was also odd and unnatural. The system (while being very capable of playing extremely loud) sounded very flat on most music at all levels.

The shop owner came back in and put some more of his music on but only wanted to listen very loud. This music simply wasn't interesting played at sensible levels.

I came away thinking that if I liked listening to loud rock music they'd perhaps be an option albeit an expensive one, and I felt I could get a similar physical effect from some JBL stage monitors or similar.

I just don't think they are intended for someone like me. They are undoubtedly indestructible and (probably for that reason) are enjoyed by 'pro' users who for some reason always feel the need to play back their recorded efforts at extraordinarily high levels.

But for trying to recreate an orchestra, a string quartet or a small jazz group for me, there are better options.

If you really are serious about a change of tweeter it might be worth looking at the Scanspeak Ring radiator or Revelator models. I don't think Ribbons like the Raven or Aurum are the way to go.

(they are bloody fragile as well!)

 

RAAL price - http://www.solen.ca/pdf/raausd.pdf add on a small shipping charge and UK tax.

I doubt there will be a problem matching a ribbon to a mid dome. There are lots of speakers that match a ribbon to a mid/bass cone driver which is going to be a lot slower.

With a 4th order Xover at 3.8KHz the RAAL will do over 110dB SPL easily.

If I were in your shoes though Nick I would seriously consider getting rid of the MB2's :O and keeping the XBD's to match to a ribbon mid and tweeter.

How do you like the idea of this as a midrange driver from 380Hz 4th order (like your current MB2) - http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-702

And then the RAAL 70-10 taking over from either 3.8KHz if you keep the current Xovers, or you can go even higher like 8KHz-10KHz.

Fukin sexy speaker that would be!

 

Two bass drivers? this wasn't the OB1 was it? Or was it the two part MB2 with XBD sub below it?

If Nick liked the planar magnetic Thorsten has then I don't think he will like the Revolator that much as its just more of what the MB2 has already.

 

I would put that down to the bryston pre-amp - which is crap. It sounds very flat and lacking in subtlety and detail. It also sounds totally "grey" tonally. It certainly hamstrings the full active systems - which is why I never bought it with my system.

What phono stage was used? The brinkmann most definately doesnt suffer those flaws. I presume the observations held true for all sources?

I listen to indian classical music myself (as well as rock) as well as a lot of female vocal and world music and I find it pretty even handed accross genres and volume levels. Of course if you listen mainly to a few genres you can match them or surpass them for much less - at the cost of other genres. Not an option for me unfortunately.

 

Nah I love the mb2 mid and two bass drivers is better than one

I might go for the raal or T's option and try them out first.

 

Well if you like what a ribbon tweeter can do better than the dome tweeter, the ribbon midrange would hold those same advantages over the midrange dome I never have liked any dome midrange too much though.

For just trying stuff out the Neo3 is the best option as it is nice and small so can go anywhere lol. It also sounds brilliant.

 

Hmm well not if the mid is quick enough and well behaved enough. A lot of ribbons deteriorate below 2khz anyway. PMC mid!

I have got the loading sorted now for the stepup - huge improvement.

 

Got the bass of Robs with the rest of yours?

What do you mean ribbons deteriorate below 2KHz?

As I said its only something I could consider seriously. If you tried the Neo3 and liked that then the bigger ribbon will be more of the same.