SB Acoustics - to Be or not to Be is not a question

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eriksquires

eriksquires

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Joined 2013
#1
Hello friends,

Since I know SB Acoustics has many fans here, I thought I'd share with you the news that a new line of sexy looking Beryllium tweeters is being announced at the High End show in Munich May 5-8. I say sexy looking because I've never heard them, just going from the press photos.

A little more is on their Facebook page as well as AudioExpress link but so far I can't find model numbers or specs.

Best,


Erik

20160427204157_SBAcoustics-MG-9701BrlWeb.jpg
 
#4
That waveguide looks very shallow, it does not make the tweeter highly directive, just a litle bit smoother than typical. Even the SEAS DXT looks deeper. Ring radiators are often more directive than standard domes or shallow domes like SB Be.
 
#6
That 22mm tweet sounds a lot more interesting.

So far Be tweets are quite disappointing. I wouldn't accept the published FRs I've found on £30 tweets. For the kind of cash they charge for Be I expect much, much better than what is currently offered.
 
#9
The Beauty of a Be tweeter is the time domain (waterfall) and top octave, not the frequency response. There is an air and transparency that rivals the best ribbons.

I've only heard early generation Focal's but they do a pretty amazing job of lifting a veil you previously didn't know was there into clarity and detail. The Mundorf AMT's spank them and send them home crying though with even lower distortion, flat FR and time domain that is as good if not better.

I've also heard the latest Be/Graphite tweeters in the Magico's which use Scanspeak motors with proprietary domes. Pretty sweet sounding! Not for me due to overall tonal balance issues, and of course the megabucks, but if that's an example of the top of the line Scanspeak performance it's pretty good.

Best,

Erik
 
#10
Bill, a very well-known crossover designer who loves ribbon tweeters, said to me recently in an email that the TLabs Be tweeters have the most ribbon-like sound he's ever heard from a dome tweeter. I'm not stating his name because I didn't ask permission to quote him.
Paul

Bill poster said:
I've got a pair of TLabs Be tweets but haven't used them yet.. Saving them for something special
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#11
pkitt said:
Bill, a very well-known crossover designer who loves ribbon tweeters, said to me recently in an email that the TLabs Be tweeters have the most ribbon-like sound he's ever heard from a dome tweeter. I'm not stating his name because I didn't ask permission to quote him.
Paul
Click to expand...
I know who you are referring to, yet those aren't his favorite tweeters.
 
#19
Charles Darwin said:
So far Be tweets are quite disappointing.
Click to expand...

Not for the manufacturers! For example from Claus Futtrup's Scan-Speak history page:

"In 2010 Scan-Speak launches the D3004/664000 Beryllium tweeter. It quickly becomes famous as one of the world's best tweeters and outsells other Scan-Speak products (in revenue)."

I tried to find a thread here where a chap putting together a commercial desktop(ish) speaker design was asking for input on the looks and stated, if I recall correctly, it would cost him something like $30 or $35 (cannot recall the exact figure) extra to use a Be diaphragm. Anyone?

Is it surprising that pretty much every driver manufacturer is now putting out a top priced Be tweeter?
 
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