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Thread: Super tweeters

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  1. #1
    If you can't run-walk. Bernd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pelly3s
    well it all really depends on what media you are listening to. if you are listening to a CD then there is no reason for a tweeter to go past 22kHz.
    Thanks for your reply.90% Vinyl.

    Bernd
    "Let The Earth Bear Witness."

  2. #2
    The Collector
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    Well with vinyl the super tweeter will make an improvement your brain responses to high frequencies even though you cant physically recognize it as noise.

    but there is absolutely no information on a CD beyond 22kHz that is technically meaningful so in a case like that it seems like a waste of money most red book audio cd's filter out everything above that due to the whole Nyquist Limit and all that fun stuff

  3. #3
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    Well it depends from what frequency you run the tweeter from. A tweeter which can easily recreate a true 35Khz signal without doing any funny stuff will have a easier time reproducing the 22Khz signal so it can be quite beneficial for CD as i notice in my personal system. If you start it past 25Khz then i admit it wont do much but then again one should let the Super Tweeter start in the audible range. There are quite a few Martin Logan CLS owners using ribbon super tweeters. Also there is HDCD and EXF CD's from JVC and others with an extended frequency responce.
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

  4. #4
    If you can't run-walk. Bernd's Avatar
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    Well the Tweeters went back to the dealer today.
    They looked great and the finish was fantastic. I never wanted a piece of equipment work more than these.
    For quiet acoustic music they added something that I understand. However on Rock and anything louder played they overpowered the midrange and the bass detail. But most enoying to me was the metal shine they put on everything. Very bright and to these ears artificial. I just couldn't live with them. I took them out and there it was the sound returned in all it's glory. I do not miss them one bit.
    I am glad I tried them because you never stop learning.

    The power of music gives you wings

    Bernd
    "Let The Earth Bear Witness."

  5. #5
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    Well they cross at 7Khz and have a totally different dispersion so it is pretty much impossible to integrate them. Good thing you tried those tough, let me know when you listen to the Perigee.
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

  6. #6
    If you can't run-walk. Bernd's Avatar
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    Will do. It's just time.
    A couple of years ago I was persuaded to try another add-on (Subwoofer), man that turned into a mess as well. Booming around the house.No thanks. I guess I like well designed and balanced speakers and don't need any artifical enhancements.Lesson learned I guess.

    Bernd
    Last edited by Bernd; 01-20-2006 at 12:43 AM.
    "Let The Earth Bear Witness."

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bernd
    Well the Tweeters went back to the dealer today.
    They looked great and the finish was fantastic. I never wanted a piece of equipment work more than these.
    For quiet acoustic music they added something that I understand. However on Rock and anything louder played they overpowered the midrange and the bass detail. But most enoying to me was the metal shine they put on everything. Very bright and to these ears artificial. I just couldn't live with them. I took them out and there it was the sound returned in all it's glory. I do not miss them one bit.
    I am glad I tried them because you never stop learning.

    The power of music gives you wings

    Bernd
    Sounds to me like these were more efficient than your tweeters[too loud]A well integrated super tweeter is barely noticeable sonically but just adds air,clarity, dynamics and improves imageing.Without the super tweeter things,especially CD can sound dry and dirty.In fact ribbon tweeters seem to make the difference between CD sounding at least as good as vinyl and it sounding blatently worse.Bass /timing also does seem to improve.Of course none of this makes technical sense but most people who experiment with ribbons used as super tweeters come to this conclusion.

    JT

  8. #8
    If you can't run-walk. Bernd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jtgofish
    Sounds to me like these were more efficient than your tweeters[too loud]A well integrated super tweeter is barely noticeable sonically but just adds air,clarity, dynamics and improves imageing.Without the super tweeter things,especially CD can sound dry and dirty.In fact ribbon tweeters seem to make the difference between CD sounding at least as good as vinyl and it sounding blatently worse.Bass /timing also does seem to improve.Of course none of this makes technical sense but most people who experiment with ribbons used as super tweeters come to this conclusion.

    JT
    As I said before, I really wanted these to work. My speakers are very efficient and the midrange and HF are served by a horn (Omniray) so very dynamic but very natural. Even on the lower sensitive setting of the tweeter I could not get away from an overpowering metallic sheen. I found that intrusive.
    I ran a diagnostic test (Sweep tone) and got two distinct peaks with the tweeter in. Never had that without.My Speakers present a very even and balanced range. As Florian pointed out, the tweeter started at 7kHz and wouldn't integrate as the dispersion pattern would be different. But that aside the metallic adition was very unnatural to my ears.
    Last night I played the same records as I did on the last night with the Tweeters in and it was just natural,dynamic,well lit staging and exactley how I like it.
    Popular consensus is no indication of universal truth. While I understand that some people may like that particular sound, it did nothing for me.
    I am glad I tried them though.

    The power of music gives you wings

    Bernd
    "Let The Earth Bear Witness."

  9. #9
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    I think this is a grea time to point out what i have been saying for years and that most never understood. No ribbon is created equal, no planar speaker is created equal. No magnetostatic speaker (Maggie) or electrostatic (Soundlab, Martin Logan CLS etc..) or pure ribbon speaker (Apogee) are equal.

    I heard metallic sounding ribbons before from Elac and VMPS and i heard plasticy sound from a Martin Logan before.... There is a good chance that this particular driver simply doesnt sound good. It is crossed over too low for a super tweeter and its impossible to match them on your speakers or mine for that matter eventough my speakers only contain ribbons.

    Nevermind this one, move on to the next. There is a good chance you wont buy another speaker and there is the equal chance you someday might change it. Just on a side note, it is EXTREMELY difficult to go from a small box or a great horn system to a huge ribbon array. They are VERY different and some people love it and some just dont. But it takes a great non-commerical system which is thought out to judge the differences. There is a minimal level of quality that is needed to talk about preference.

    Cheers

    Flo
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

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