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The strong opinions around ceramic speakers

OK, so this is a recurring theme for me, and if you’ve seen me post on this before, sorry. Your subscription doesn’t guarantee unique content here. I was reading the Munich High-End coverage over at DIYaudio.com and this topic came up again. Many there aren’t fond of ceramics, and neither am I.

I’ve gotten to hear a number of ceramic driver speakers and despite being very positively disposed to them based on the technology in both the cone/dome material as well as the motors themselves I’ve never liked a single speaker based on them. I mean, based on the specs I should love these things, but I don’t. Is this a type of speaker tuning that is applied, or something else?

I’m including diamond speakers here, BTW.

Now, companies like Kharma could care less what I like or don’t like, but I am seriously asking this question a different way, if you have liked ceramic speakers, which one’s and why, what did you pair with them? What is the closest non-ceramic speaker you DID like?

This is an interesting topic for me because it is a dimension where there's a broad divergence between measurements (very good) and experience (meh) and that difference can help tell us something about who an audiophile is.

erik_squires
erik_squires OP
16,363 posts
 

@missioncoonery  lets not immediately resort to ad hominem attacks shall we?

You've listed some very expensive speakers I don't like to listen to, so I was hoping we could discuss their signature and sound qualities compared to non-ceramics.

As I mentioned, I'm not the only one who has trouble grasping ceramic speakers, so instead of making this a childish brand promoting or bashing discussion I hope other readers can jump in here and discuss the deltas they have come to experience between ceramic and non ceramic speakers.

However, if you just want to discuss what's wrong with your head I'm for that too.

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Deja vu?

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/hard-audio-ceramic-speakers

erik_squires OP
16,363 posts
 

@twoleftears 

You are not wrong!! What got me thinking of it however was new and gorgeous show coverage:

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/munich-high-end-2022.386473/

 

 

musicaddict
372 posts
 

I'm usually not into ceramics at all as they sound brittle to me and not near as smooth as the sealed ribbons I enjoy, or non-metallic cones. They might sparkle for fifteen minutes but for the long haul they seem fatiguing  and don't cut it for my ears, usually.

Just what my ears hear. Don't like diamond B&W tweeters much either... (Tidal is a real exception though-love their line.)

paullb
131 posts
 

Erik,

Too bad there's no practical way to hear these. They sound like speakers with ceramic drivers for people who don't normally like ceramic drivers.

https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/bonysound-jazz-2022/ 

sorry, I don't know how to insert a link.

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