Planer and Ribbon -- difference?

[jmar]

Pardon my ignorance but what is the difference between a planer and ribbon tweeter?

I've never used either -- I do know the ribbon uses a thin plastic film.

I need something with wide dispersion that isn't a cheap horn like I have now, so looking at these.

The "planers" seem to get great reviews (on parts express anyway).

Thanks.

 

[jcx]

true ribbons aren't supported on the long edges, are usually metal foil - no plastic, the metal is often corrugated to allow easy motion in the mag field airgap

planar are usually plastic film with metal foil traces, supported by all the edges, depends on the plastic elasticity for motion

wide planar may have complicated magnetic structures the sound has to pass through or just be narrow strips looking very similar to ribbons

BG have "planar ribbons" - not true ribbon drivers

Magneplan has both types

 

[63781]

A good example is the Apogee speakers. The woofer is a planar, and the tweeter a ribbon. The difference is described in jcx's post above.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

 

[mondogenerator]

i dont get this, if a planar is supported by all sides, then why is a film laminate ribbon NOT a true ribbon?

I.e. 'planar' or 'ribbon' describe method of operation not the diaphragm composition.

 

[dacen]

This has always confused me as well. Take a look her on BG´s own info. They call it Planar magnetic ribbon. http://www.bg-speaker.de/downloads/rd-productinfo.pdf Apogee call all the speakers without dynamic bass speakers for Full Range Ribbon.
Apogee Speaker Users Website

I am confused

 

[pcb121055]

Hi guys. I thought a magnetostat was a driver whose membrane was fully bound and magnetically driven, a ribbon was bound on the ends and magnetically driven while planar was a shape which could be implemented by magnetic or electrostatic methods. I have seen the term "planar magnetic" used pretty often... which would be a magnetostat?

 

[dacen]

Here is what I have built several years ago. I would call both the MR/TW and the bass panel MAGNETOSTATIC as long as the driving force for the membranes is not an electromagnetic field.
https://picasaweb.google.com/tsundsd/October292012?authkey=Gv1sRgCPv0qfqR9oKrAw#5807456458436717122

 

[mondogenerator]

Hi guys. I thought a magnetostat was a driver whose membrane was fully bound and magnetically driven, a ribbon was bound on the ends and magnetically driven while planar was a shape which could be implemented by magnetic or electrostatic methods. I have seen the term "planar magnetic" used pretty often... which would be a magnetostat?

😀 I agree. Except I substitute 'isodynamic' for planar. Magnetostat confuses me, perhas the magnets are only on the reverse of the diaphragm?

 

[dacen]

These speakers are dynamic speakers as good as any. The principle of operation is exactly the same.Only that the magnet field is pread over a larger surface and the voice coil is running back and fourth in this magnetic field spread over the same wide surface. The magnetostatic name has just been chosen because of the resemblance with electrostatic speakers.

 

[Silent Screamer]

this might give you a better visual understanding of a ribbon
RAAL ribbon replacement and tightening - YouTube

 

[Ron E]

Pardon my ignorance but what is the difference between a planer and ribbon tweeter?

A Planer is a machine tool used to make wood boards very flat.
A ribbon tweeter is a crimped metallic conductor suspended at its terminals between two magnetic poles.