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Do larger planar speakers produce more accurate sound?

Planar speakers generate sound pressure via vibrating membrane panels. The excursion of the membrane x radiating area= sound pressure. This would mean that for a given sound level, membranes have smaller excursion in larger planar speakers than in smaller ones. Does this mean that larger speakers will produce more accurate sound?

I am not talking about the obvious benefits of the larger speakers in terms of low frequency production, so let's not get into that.

chungjh
cleeds
6,105 posts
 
jimrobie
Most planar speakers are dipole and actually are designed for room interactions.  You send an identical  sound wave into a wall or corner and it is irrelevant if that sound wave was generated from a planar or cone speaker. 

Oh no, you're mistaken. Dipole speakers typically send very little energy to the sides, as compared to a box speaker. It is a huge difference, and part of the reason dipoles sound the way they do.

jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 

this may help those climbing the learning curve on the subject...

 

 

ticat's avatar
ticat
378 posts
 

My experience has been, there is generally less interaction between The Room (side wall and vertical especially) and The Speaker, with regard to Plannar vs Cone. Plannars having fewer reflection interactions, Cones having more.

There is however,  a marked difference in the interaction within The Room when comparing Large Planars and Small Planars, in the same Room.

The size of The Speaker should be appropriate for the size of The Room... 

 

emrofsemanon's avatar
emrofsemanon
292 posts
 

the most realistic and accurate sound i've ever heard was at definitive hifi in seattle, circa 1982 [about 40 years ago], a pair of maggie tympani IIIs were dominating one end of an acoustically treated room, on the other end were two [dorm room] refrigerator-sized monoblock class A amps that doubled as room heaters. i was sweating in there but the sound [from a direct-disc cathedral pipe organ {Bach} recording] was utterly enveloping with a "you are THERE!" feeling. the surface noise of the record floated in a little cloud a few feet in front of the speakers. being that i was not rich, i could not afford them but i did get the smallest ones they sold and those are in my collection today. in smaller rooms they [smg/mmg] did a lot of the "you are there" trick. 

helomech
1,799 posts
 

The smaller planar diaphragm has less mass to contend with. Also, since planars behave as an imperfect line-source in practicality, the larger panel will have a  greater total of interference filtering. I haven’t compared measurements of say, the Magnepan LRS and 1.7i, but I would bet the former gets a little closer to textbook ideals. However, the average listener will probably perceive the larger of two panels to sound more life-like, all else being equal. 

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