Full range ribbon

[JacobSijsma]

I know this title sounds bizarre up to the point of mental but there are neo-bar magnets on sale for about 10 cents a piece. For a while I had this idea of making several columns sharing adjacent magnets and running the driver up and down in series. These magnets are going insanely fast, I need to decide in the coming week. It could end up being paired to a sub in a 2-way hybrid configuration, but the idea initially is to make it large enough to make a transformer completely obsolete, so 4-8 ohms load. Would anyone be willing to brainstorm on this with me? I need second opinions. All in all I could still use the magnets in a la-foila esque speaker design and spare the time having to break my head over a custom design.

Is it a good idea to build a (probably in-efficient) full ranger and also having to EQ the **** out of it, /discuss.

[bear]

Magnets are good.

You have two choices:
- pure ribbon
- printed ribbon

With a pure ribbon you need a transformer or a very special amplifier.
With a printed ribbon you don't need a transformer (probably).

The likelyhood of making a "full range" single ribbon of either type is essentially zero. So you are into at minimum a two-way system.

Like many others that you doubtless have seen.

Worst case you can do a decent tall ribbon HF or mid/high range. Using either method.

It's a fun project, and if the magnets are strong enough and cheap enough, it should work ok...

worst case you can stick up a lot of stuff on your refrigerator.

[racingpht]

Check the patents issued by Magnepan.

for example:
https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&...agnepan&num=10

[JacobSijsma]

Check, the magnets are pretty powerful, the dimensions are not very large: 10mm in it's widest, I'm no expert on planar's or ribbons but that tells me I have about half a centimeter per side, I tested a ribbon before with magnets of similar dimensions and got no real issues with it. I'm not looking for the perfect magnet dimensions though, mainly just looking for a fun project to work on.

I have an idea by what you mean with pure and printed but do you happen to have a source going into detail on this?

Indeed absolute worst case is having a bunch of magnets sitting around collecting dust but I plan on designing it in such a way that I will not have to glue them so I can go about prototyping with it.

Again just brainstorming on this but is using ordinary kitchen foil a good idea, me-thinks that using a thicker foil could improve power handling. Also, I should have added that I plan on making it a dipole and perhaps boxing the sub underneath it, kinda like a martin logan knockoff.

[StigErik]

You need to make it a planar in order to reach low frequencies, that is - the "ribbon" must be fixed to a frame on all edges. A true ribbon will not reach low frequencies because of the acoustic cancellation around the ribbon itself. That is why both Magnepan and Apogee speakers have ribbon tweeters, but planar mid/woofers.

[blaaberg]

>You have two choices:
>- pure ribbon
>- printed ribbon
>
>With a pure ribbon you need a transformer or a very special amplifier.
>With a printed ribbon you don't need a transformer (probably).

Narrjhhhhh, you can also do with a serial resistor and pure ribbon. I have made a ribbon 180cm high, 1.7 cm wide. Supplied with a serial resistor (2.1 ohm) made of the same aluminium foil I use for ribbon, glued on stif paper.... super :-)

My amp play clear and powerfull in this load, and
they can play all that loud I needed

Cheers Jan

[blaaberg]

Originally Posted by StigErik

You need to make it a planar in order to reach low frequencies, that is - the "ribbon" must be fixed to a frame on all edges. A true ribbon will not reach low frequencies because of the acoustic cancellation around the ribbon itself. That is why both Magnepan and Apogee speakers have ribbon tweeters, but planar mid/woofers.

Yes or common speakers. In my system I have 6 pcx 12" and the ribbon mentioned above pr. side. I active cut between those two about 350 hz 12/24 db/oct...

[blaaberg]

>You have two choices:
>- pure ribbon
>- printed ribbon
>
>With a pure ribbon you need a transformer or a very special amplifier.
>With a printed ribbon you don't need a transformer (probably).

Narrjhhhhh, you can also do with a serial resistor and pure ribbon. I have made a ribbon 180cm high, 1.7 cm wide. Supplied with a serial resistor (2.1 ohm) made of the same aluminium foil I use for ribbon, glued on stif paper.... super :-)

My amp play clear and powerfull in this load, and
they can play all that loud I needed

Cheers Jan

[a.wayne]

@OP, where are you getting Neo's at that price ...

Originally Posted by blaaberg

>You have two choices:
>- pure ribbon
>- printed ribbon
>
>With a pure ribbon you need a transformer or a very special amplifier.
>With a printed ribbon you don't need a transformer (probably).

Narrjhhhhh, you can also do with a serial resistor and pure ribbon. I have made a ribbon 180cm high, 1.7 cm wide. Supplied with a serial resistor (2.1 ohm) made of the same aluminium foil I use for ribbon, glued on stif paper.... super :-)

My amp play clear and powerfull in this load, and
they can play all that loud I needed

Cheers Jan

Agree series resistor much better than transformer , but 2ohm is killing alot of the sensitivity , are you using neo's ..

[blaaberg]

Originally Posted by a.wayne

@OP, where are you getting Neo's at that price ...

Agree series resistor much better than transformer , but 2ohm is killing alot of the sensitivity , are you using neo's ..

Yes Neo, and no problem with sensitivity.... :-)
My 6 pcx. 12" is just lowered 2db vs. the 180cm ribbon.