tweeter choice: dome or ribbon?

[Michael Chua]

Originally Posted by mondogenerator

There is something I like about the Ribbons which I cant put my finger on.

Once you hear a good ribbon, dome tweeters sound "rough".

My Heil is crossed at 2K (18dB) to my Audax HM130C0. Wonderful combination.

[mondogenerator]

thanks Simon, the reasons you mention are the reasoning behind me taking a listening break until i have a flat crossover.

The domes sound ok really, but it sounds more of a case of what the ribbons lack in their reproduction, rather than the reverse.

Its this that makes me look at the domes colouration, rather than the THD of the ribbon.

I have seen waterfalls and THD measures posted on techtalk i think, below about 2.5k the THD rises, but above 3k its below -40dB, the waterfall shows a spike in the same region, so i plan to cross higher than this.

[mondogenerator]

Thanks Michael, those do look nice. Similar box size to my AP130ZO, although I dont think there is much special in the AP range motor, no shorting ring, although that doesnt make them awful. The HM range are likely a lot better.

[mondogenerator]

the front horn WG is detachable, or appears to be. Removing it may be my next test, just out of curiosity.

[samadhi]

Originally Posted by mondogenerator

the front horn WG is detachable, or appears to be. Removing it may be my next test, just out of curiosity.

You'd need to re-measure and completely revise the crossover to account for the loss of waveguide "boost"....

[DrDyna]

Originally Posted by Michael Chua

Once you hear a good ribbon, dome tweeters sound "rough".

My Heil is crossed at 2K (18dB) to my Audax HM130C0. Wonderful combination.

The Heil isn't really a ribbon though, is it? I was always under the impression that ribbons moved in-out, the Heil kinda does a "squeeze to center".

[ODougbo]

In some circles, these are considered worlds best. I only used them once in a box in the back of a Chevy Blazer, they did sound great.

Never understand why they stop making great speakers!

[Michael Chua]

Originally Posted by DrDyna

The Heil isn't really a ribbon though, is it? I was always under the impression that ribbons moved in-out, the Heil kinda does a "squeeze to center".

Thanks for the clarification. You're right, the Heil AMT are not ribbons. I always thought they were. Now I have an excuse to buy the Fountek NeoCD3.0. Would be interesting to compare the NeoCD3 with the Heil.

Wiki has some information on Heil AMT

[DrDyna]

Originally Posted by Michael Chua

Thanks for the clarification. You're right, the Heil AMT are not ribbons. I always thought they were. Now I have an excuse to buy the Fountek NeoCD3.0. Would be interesting to compare the NeoCD3 with the Heil.

Wiki has some information on Heil AMT

Oh, I love the heil, especially the big one. Friend of mine that owned a stereo shop in upstate ny had a set of speakers that he used as his reference that had one of the older foam surround peerless 8" and the big heil. I tried to talk him out of them a couple of times, but his response was always "Million dollars, you can have em."

One of these days I'll try to cook something up myself.

[mondogenerator]

yeah a heil is a motion transformer, which i THINK is like a magnetostat, except pleated, and attraction is between folds, rather than a pseudo ribbon magnetostat. All of these appeal to me, budget was important, so i chose the neoCD3.5H, versus the Mivoc and visaton magneto. A raal or heil would be good, i challenge you to find an example for £40 each, and ill buy. The pinching motion is another 'lever' of mechanical advantage, like the horn is to the 3.5h