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Is the Accuton driver that good?

It seems a lot of new speakers are using the Accuton or similar ceramic drivers (and I notice the diamond variant for tweeters). I've heard them (mainly in Kharmas), but not others. Evolution, Salk, Avalon, and like I said Kharma use them.
Do they have any particular coloration or quality that is making them gain popularity? In the Kharmas, it was pace and timing and a natural sound without overhang, but it was different than regular (non-metallic) cones & domes, which, fwiw, are less detailed but maybe more relaxing.
It's like for me with the Kharmas "this sounds great and real and not bright or hard either" but somehow it is not as relaxing as the Aerials or Von Schweikerts or Quad dynamics(or even Apogees) I have lived with). I can't put my finger on it.

I'm not sure if it was just the Kharmas or the ceramics in general, but I wanted to raise the question.
rgs92
jmbatkh
103 posts
 
I have Selah Tempestas w/ the 2" Accuton dome midrange. In my opinion, it is the most natural, uncolored and detailed midrange I've heard in 42 years in the hobby. Just beautifully clear and natural. It "rings" at 19 khz., and in my speakers that has been very effectively neutralized. I can't speak for the larger mids or woofers. I've heard a 1" tweeter that is very detailed, but perhaps a touch peaky in the speakers heard. As with any driver, the implementation is key, but the drivers themselves have many wonderful qualities.
rgs92 OP
974 posts
 
Yep Shadorne, splashy is exactly the word for it. Not hard, bright, etched, just like a vague reminder of Niagara Falls.
It actually does sound like there is more realism. In regular drivers, something is missing and thus less natural, but maybe I can't handle the truth.
face
516 posts
 
Shadorne, a competent designer shouldn't have a problem eliminating audible ringing from Accuton drivers. They're much easier to work with than your typical aluminum or magnesium drivers. Choosing the correct slopes, appropriate crossover frequency, and if necessary adding a notch isn't rocket science.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Face,

They are indeed easy to work with but that was not my main criticism of the design. An approach that depends on the Correction of audible artifacts is simply not a great starting point for a design.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
Well, Shadorne may be right that the Accuton takes things too far, but it seems to me the counterargument is: there is a tradeoff in any technology used to reproduce music. Belt drive accelerates like a boatload of pig iron. Ribbon tweeters are hard to match to dynamic woofers. So forth.

I happened to like the Accuton-equipped JAS Audio speakers I heard in Montreal a few years ago. They just sounded a lot cleaner than I thought my own speakers were. OTOH the crossover, although it looked very well-made, also looked extremely complex.
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