Dome tweeter monitors

ricardojoa · « **on:** 20 Feb 2011, 05:37 pm »

Hi Rick,
i was curious if wether you have any plans for a dome tweeter monitor? I noticed that all your monitors use ribbon tweeters. Doesn't dome tweeter in general have higher dispersion which may be preferable for those that dont y listen music on the spot? I've also noticed that it seems like with your design, the high frequency only extends to 20khz when they can extend much higher? Any reason for limmiting?

Thanks

kip_ · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Feb 2011, 06:22 pm »

He recently designed one with the Seas Crescendo tweeter (see here http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=88756.0), and he's done several designs with the Air Circ tweeter.

Why do you care about >20k extension? Most people can't hear higher than 16k, but your dog can. Anyway, according to Madisound, both the 70-10 and the 140-15 RAALs extend to 100k (not flat though). I think Rick just doesn't measure higher than 20k.

Rick Craig · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Feb 2011, 01:55 am »

Yes, I have built many designs with domes. The ribbon's dispersion depends on the width/length plus the magnet and faceplate design. Most of the ribbons I use are 20mm maximum width and have better horizontal dispersion than a 1" dome. The length of the ribbon plus faceplate/horn loading can limit the vertical dispersion in the top octave but with the shorter ribbons this isn't an audible problem. I test to 20K because that's the industry standard - that doesn't mean that the tweeter doesn't extend beyond that.

Quote from: ricardojoa on 20 Feb 2011, 05:37 pm

Hi Rick,
i was curious if wether you have any plans for a dome tweeter monitor? I noticed that all your monitors use ribbon tweeters. Doesn't dome tweeter in general have higher dispersion which may be preferable for those that dont y listen music on the spot? I've also noticed that it seems like with your design, the high frequency only extends to 20khz when they can extend much higher? Any reason for limmiting?

Thanks

ricardojoa · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Feb 2011, 03:08 pm »

Rick thanks for the response.

Rick Craig · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Feb 2011, 04:10 pm »

Quote from: ricardojoa on 22 Feb 2011, 03:08 pm

Rick thanks for the response.

One thing I forgot to add - beware of companies quoting response to 50K or 100K. The software and test equipment needed to measure that high is beyond what they would have on hand. Besides that, only your dog would care!

Rick Craig · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Mar 2011, 05:06 pm »

New design in progress with what some consider to be the world's best dome tweeter...

cstory · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Mar 2011, 06:11 pm »

Scan Speak Be?

Rick Craig · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Mar 2011, 03:28 am »

Quote from: cstory on 9 Mar 2011, 06:11 pm

Scan Speak Be?

Bingo!

richidoo · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Mar 2011, 04:09 am »

I didn't know about that monster. Not a bad price for a real beryllium tweeter with a great motor.

Rick Craig · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Mar 2011, 01:12 pm »

Quote from: richidoo on 10 Mar 2011, 04:09 am

I didn't know about that monster. Not a bad price for a real beryllium tweeter with a great motor.

...also combining it with the paper cone version of the Illuminator woofer

ricardojoa · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Mar 2011, 03:34 pm »

Sounds good!

cstory · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Mar 2011, 07:34 pm »

That combination is what I was thinking of for my next set of Selah's.

richidoo · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Mar 2011, 07:38 pm »

cstory, how many other Selah speakers have you had?

cstory · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 Mar 2011, 01:51 pm »

I started with a pair of Hiddenites that I bought as a kit, and had my brother in law make the cabinets for the sealed version. They are nice speakers for the $$, and they got me hooked. After hearing the Raal Tweeters in the first Salk Soundscapes (un named and using the FAL flat midrange) at AKfest I became obsessed with the tweeter and got Rick to make me the Grandeur. Once we got the Grandeur's, my wife became unhappy with the sound of the little first generation Aperion (was Edge Audio when I bought them) 5" monitors we were using in the bedroom, so I replaced those with the Aura Jr.s using the SB dimple dome tweeter.

I'm done with speakers for the time being, but I can still dream.

Chuck

richidoo · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Mar 2011, 03:09 pm »

CooL! I have heard the Grandeur, that is a sweet speaker.

c_note · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Mar 2011, 09:00 pm »

Rick, I'm glad to hear you're now working with the Scan Speak Be tweeter. A question, and apologies in advance if it's a naive one: I have a pair of RC5Gs with the Scan Speak Air Circ tweeter. Would it be possible to "swap out" the Air Circ for the Be model without modifying the crossover?

Both tweeter models have the same external dimensions, and resonant frequency and sensitivity are almost identical (470 vs 500 hz, 92.1 vs 91.5 db, with the biggest difference in the octave above 10 khz). These differences appear negligible to me, but I could easily be wrong. The Air Circ is a very good tweeter, but by all accounts the Be model is extraordinary.

Thoughts?

face · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Mar 2011, 11:27 pm »

I'd also like to know how they compare sound wise.

Rick Craig · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Mar 2011, 01:45 am »

I can check into it and will let you know.

Quote from: c_note on 14 Mar 2011, 09:00 pm

Rick, I'm glad to hear you're now working with the Scan Speak Be tweeter. A question, and apologies in advance if it's a naive one: I have a pair of RC5Gs with the Scan Speak Air Circ tweeter. Would it be possible to "swap out" the Air Circ for the Be model without modifying the crossover?

Both tweeter models have the same external dimensions, and resonant frequency and sensitivity are almost identical (470 vs 500 hz, 92.1 vs 91.5 db, with the biggest difference in the octave above 10 khz). These differences appear negligible to me, but I could easily be wrong. The Air Circ is a very good tweeter, but by all accounts the Be model is extraordinary.

Thoughts?

Rick Craig · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 12:45 am »

Just tested both and the answer is yes.

Quote from: c_note on 14 Mar 2011, 09:00 pm

Rick, I'm glad to hear you're now working with the Scan Speak Be tweeter. A question, and apologies in advance if it's a naive one: I have a pair of RC5Gs with the Scan Speak Air Circ tweeter. Would it be possible to "swap out" the Air Circ for the Be model without modifying the crossover?

Both tweeter models have the same external dimensions, and resonant frequency and sensitivity are almost identical (470 vs 500 hz, 92.1 vs 91.5 db, with the biggest difference in the octave above 10 khz). These differences appear negligible to me, but I could easily be wrong. The Air Circ is a very good tweeter, but by all accounts the Be model is extraordinary.

Thoughts?

c_note · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 Mar 2011, 02:49 pm »

Outstanding! I'll email you off-line to discuss specifics.

Can you comment briefly on the SS Be's sound quality vs. both soft dome tweeters and the RAAL ribbon? Also, I'm surprised you're pairing it with the paper Illuminator driver, I thought you preferred the aluminum cone?