The detection is mechanical because it is really variations in temperature that are behind the operation of the Ionofane.
The high frequency field is modulated at audio frequencies. The temperature of the corona discharge varies in proportion to the audio frequency.
Each variation in temperature produces an expansion of air, followed by a contraction, thereby producing a sound wave.
I would be interested to know how linear this thermobaric transformation works in the end, e.g. at 1m away from the plasma in free field. And I also would like to know how much max. SPL a plasma tweeter can produce. Has anyone some SPL/THD measurements of plasma tweeters?
I have used the RT2C-A planar magnetic tweeter from Hi-Vi Research in my most recent projects.
It does have a very natural, smooth and detailed sound that I really enjoy.
Data sheet is below for reference.
I don't have recent experience with the other types you mentioned, so I can't provide any direct comparisons, but going forward I think I'll be sticking with the planars.
I just spent two hours going through my collection of tweeters. I have a 4 way DSP speaker and together with my daughter (who has great ears and can find accurate words for what she hears) I a/b tested a dozen tweeters. In this speaker the tweeter is crossed high at 5400hz but with a shallow 1st order slope.
Observations:
Price has little to do with sound quality.
A dirt cheap oval tv speaker (not really a tweeter) beat the vifa/peerless xt25tg30
and my ESS heil.
But it was beaten by an even cheaper 1.5" paper tweeter of less than a dollar a piece.
Where the more expensive tweeters excel is either more power handling and/or lower crossover points.
But since I am currently looking for a tweeter for a circular omnidirectional tweeter array with 18 tweeters I don't need the power handing. So I am stoked the best sounding option is alsp dirt cheap.
I think paper tweeters have a undeserved bad reputation. Somehow people don't find them sexy and assume a 1$ tweeter must be crap.
Observations:
Price has little to do with sound quality.
A dirt cheap oval tv speaker (not really a tweeter) beat the vifa/peerless xt25tg30
and my ESS heil.
But it was beaten by an even cheaper 1.5" paper tweeter of less than a dollar a piece.
Where the more expensive tweeters excel is either more power handling and/or lower crossover points.
But since I am currently looking for a tweeter for a circular omnidirectional tweeter array with 18 tweeters I don't need the power handing. So I am stoked the best sounding option is alsp dirt cheap.
I think paper tweeters have a undeserved bad reputation. Somehow people don't find them sexy and assume a 1$ tweeter must be crap.
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Another strange observation during my tweeter test was when only playing the subwoofer and tweeter while muting the bass and midrange. Some tweeters seem to pull the bass towards them so bass seems to come out of the tweeter, while other tweeters stay completely separate. My cheapest paper tweeter had the strongest bass pull, quite a surreal sensation. It seemed all bass came out of this tiny tweeter and not the 21" woofer sitting a meter away on the floor.
Speaker design is part science and part alchemy.
Speaker design is part science and part alchemy.
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