Are there any current high end dipole speakers (dynamic)?


Looking to upgrade my decades old system which includes Mirage M3si.  No they ain't perfect, but the speakers disappear and that kind of sound is very appealing.  Electrostatics (bipoles?)aren't the same (though when my mirage's die, I'll probably get maggies).
Thanks for your time.
berner99

Showing 4 responses by douglas_schroeder

Let the Fanboy Games begin!  (LOL, like the Hunger Games)  ;) 

Magnetic planar, electrostatic, dynamic, hybrid dynamic, open baffle, horn, hybrid horn/dynamic, omni are all better than each other. 

;) 


As a guide to the OP, there are threads on this topic here at Agon. Plenty of ideas and companies to select from. I would caution that it is most helpful to understand the inherent performance characteristics of panels vs. dynamic open baffle, as, imo, they differ significantly. 

The two most fundamental differences I hear are that images with panels are more diffuse, and with less macrodynamic impact (less concentrated force) than open baffle dynamic and dynamic hybrids; not bad, just different. I can get either to sound wonderful. But, imo, there is no being able to duplicate the essential character of the other. Try to experience and hone down your expectations before you buy.  If you can't experience them, do a LOT of reading to know what the performance differences are.  

Finally, my experience has been that speaker systems that are passive vs. active depend more on the setup/system configuration for ultimate performance, and that neither one has absolutely outperformed the other. i.e. I can get either one to sound better depending on system. Don't believe it when you are told that any given active speaker system will always outperform a passive one by another manufacturer. It's simply not true, as I have learned by building systems with them both. 
berner99, glad to help. The point about speakers sounding good as one walks around the room is more a selling point than an absolute indicator of superb sound. Only IF you are up and about while listening regularly would that be important. It is certainly not a requirement to recreate a superb experience from the listening chair. Don’t be drawn off the goal by marketing and unusual features that do not necessarily mean the best experience.

I had the Apogee Caliper for a short period of time and it was meh, not terribly impressive. It didn’t help that the speaker had a surround issue and I learned why you don’t buy vintage from third parties when it involves shipping and you haven't heard the speakers. (Not condemning all third party vintage sales, just the one I experienced). But you couldn’t get me to go for an old Quad, Apogee, ML, or any of the others. WAY too good of new designs today, imo. YMMV

I think you’e answered the million dollar question, which would you prefer, panel like magnetic planar or electrostatic, OR open baffle dynamic? You likely would gravitate toward the open baffle dynamic. Now you only have to choose between Line Source or more defined arrays (such as 2xWoofer, full range, tweet) etc. There are several configurations, but I think you would lament the loss of dynamic drivers. It seems what you are gravitating toward.

berner99, I do not wish to be presumptuous, but it seems firing full range fore and aft now is considered a faux pas. It's pretty old technology and there have been some wonderful advancements, i.e. all these open baffle dynamic speakers, since then. I never could get past the sense that they were inherently more sloppy than traditional designs when I heard them several times years ago. 

Pertaining to your second paragraph of question/observations, perhaps it would be best for you to think in terms of "concentration" of energy when thinking about which type of speaker would best suit. I often use the analogy of straight line wind versus tornado. Both have powerful fronts, but the straight line wind is a wall of sound, overall less concentrated than tornado. Tornado is tightly packed and while less distributed, more forceful. Now, apply this to panels and dynamic speakers; the panel is like straight line wind, while the dynamic speaker is like tornado. 

You will overall get more tightly focused center image and bigger variance with dynamics with dynamic drivers. You will overall get more diffuse center image (larger and less dense) and less variance in dynamics. Forget the "walk around" variable; it does nothing to determine the final happiness with the seated listening to a speaker system - unless you will be up and around while listening constantly. 

When I establish a system with this particular genre of speaker my goal is to claim the best of both worlds with an open baffle dynamic speaker at least 60" tall. I would not wish to settle for less than at least 2 15" woofers per side and a speaker ideally 60" or taller. There are some wonderful speakers of similar (but not identical) ilk mentioned here already. The PAP Horn 1 (or other variants) does not meet the height criterion, but that is easy fixed with a bit of imagination.  :)
 
I advise you to keep your current speakers, and buy new ones as well. Swap them out whenever you feel like it. You will begin to hear substantive differences, ones that cannot be mimicked by the other. It's a great way to gain appreciation for the vast palate of sound available, and to slowly determine which technology suits your ears the most.