Let's talk Tweeters!


Another thread which talked about specific speaker brands was taken over, so I’d like to start a new one.

Mind you, I do not believe in a "best" type of tweeter, nor do I believe in a best brand of speaker, so lets keep that type of conversation out, and use this instead to focus on learning about choices speaker designers make and what that may mean to the end user.

There is no such thing as a speaker driver without trade offs. Some choices must be forsworn in exchange for another.

In the end, the materials used, magnet and motor structure, and crossover choices as well as the listening room come together to make a great speaker, of which there are many. In addition, we all listen for different things. Imaging, sweetness, warmth, detail, dance-ability and even efficiency so there is no single way to measure a driver and rate it against all others.

Also, please keep ads for your 4th dimensional sound or whatever off this thread. Thanks.
erik_squires
I agree @timlub

I also only meant to criticize myself for going off topic, since I had originally only meant to talk about tweeters, but so long as we stay away from bashing specific manufacturers and stick to design principles I guess it's all good.

Sorry if that sounded like I was criticizing you at all.

Best,


E
Hey SoundsrealAudio, can we stay off ads for specific speaker brands in this thread please?

I really would like to focus on general design theory. As soon as brands get thrown in threads get really dirty.


Thanks,


E
Agreed...although I've got my preferences and invoked the name of a specific driver to clarify that, I don't want us to drift into a 'cable/interconnect' style pull-pull this vs. that arm wrestling match.  And I'm infamous for off-topic drift....
There's stellar examples of all types of tweet designs, granted.  And the design and engineering of all and the compromises that come with the pursuit of excellence of any driver at this point are, as timlub points out, pretty well canon.  And the matching of tweeter A to woofer Z reminds me of human marriages; some you understand, others...*shrug*....you shake your head and walk away....*G*

Eric invokes design principles, which is what I interpreted Eric had opened this forum over and about.  Like most things, it's difficult to stay on 'theory' without the mention of particular manufacturers' offerings as an example, because that's what we know in the specific...and cite...

IMHO...it's become hard to stay on topic within any discussion about Anything of late, whether it's tweeter design, cars, underwear, or *deep breath & 10' pole* politics...;)

If I wanted to throw gasoline onto 'this fire', I Could point out my personal pursuits of DIY Walsh speakers.  I would hope that might take us into a discussion of Real Esoteria, say plasma or even dustier corners of the audio reproduction realm.  But would that take us off topic even further?

Perhaps.....

But, in review of the original query by Eric, our OP, I interpret it to mean 'what do you like and why?'  without descent into a 'turf war' over it.

OK...I like my ribbons.  I like my Walsh's better, even with their 'warts' as DIY stuff tends to have (I'm working on that...). *G*

Next.

Lets' have fun, and keep it light 'n sociable. ;)
I don't mind talking driver brands... we're unlikely to get a ScanSpeak or Faital troll to show up and start harping on the quantum effects of their drivers.  :)  Plus it helps to talk about specifics in case we want to point to specifications. :)

So maybe we should say "No proprietary drivers" discussed? :) Then we can talk about a specific midrange, and talk about who might be using it. But yeah, really don't want a paragraph or 20 talking about how speaker brand X is so amazing it isn't even a speaker anymore.

Best,

E