Gilmore Audio planars revealed

Color me skeptical but when I see that 60" ribbon floating I'll believe it is indeed lighter than air. Sometimes marketing statements turn me off regardless of the merits of the product being offered.

Duke & Sellerwithintegrity,

Sorry for addressing my last post to you Duke. It was, in fact meant for Sellerwithintegrity.

Sellerwithintegrity,

Please, rethink your remark about some speaker manufacturer making ribbons that are lighter than air. It isn't going to happen. Here's some reading for you:

May 7, 2002 - A new version of aerogel, the particle-collecting substance on NASA's Stardust spacecraft, has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the solid with the lowest density.

Dr. Steven Jones of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., a materials scientist who created the aerogel used by Stardust, also created a lighter version that weighs only 3 milligrams per cubic centimeter (.00011 pounds per cubic inch.) The team received the official certificate yesterday.

Guinness World Records approved the new aerogel's application for the least dense solid in March. Astronomer David Hawksett, Guinness World Records' science and technology judge, decided that Jones' aerogel beat out the previous record holder, an aerogel that weighed 5 milligrams per cubic centimeter (.00018 pounds per cubic inch.)

Aerogel is pure silicon dioxide and sand, just as is glass, but aerogel is a thousand times less dense than glass because it is 99.8 percent air. It is prepared like gelatin by mixing a liquid silicon compound and a fast-evaporating liquid solvent, forming a gel that is then dried in an instrument similar to a pressure cooker. The mixture thickens, and then careful heating and depressurizing produce a glassy sponge of silicon.

What remains is sometimes called "solid smoke," for its cloudy translucent color and super-light weight. Surprisingly, this seemingly brittle substance is durable and easily survives launch and space environments.

"It's probably not possible to make aerogel any lighter than this because then it wouldn't gel," Jones said. "The molecules of silicon wouldn't connect. And it's not possible to make it lighter than the density of air, 1.2 milligrams per cubic centimeter (.00004 pounds per cubic inch), because aerogel is filled with air." To change the density, Jones simply changes the amount of silicon in the initial mixture.

Stardust will use aerogel to capture particles from comet Wild 2 in 2004. NASA used aerogel for thermal insulation on the Mars Pathfinder mission. It will also be used on the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover, and may aid a proposed fundamental-physics testing mission and the Mars Scout Program.

Those may be mighty fine speakers but...

Eldartford,

Yeah, but better yet, let's use Hydrogen. Seriously, here's the explaination:

"It's probably not possible to make aerogel any lighter than this because then it wouldn't gel," Jones said. "The molecules of silicon wouldn't connect. And it's not possible to make it lighter than the density of air, 1.2 milligrams per cubic centimeter (.00004 pounds per cubic inch), because aerogel is filled with air." To change the density, Jones simply changes the amount of silicon in the initial mixture.

Plus, I don't think the aerogel would make a good ribbon.

Anyway, I look forward to the day when speaker cables are also used as tie downs. Again, these may be great speakers but this claim is so outrageous that it cannot go unchallenged. Heavens, if they could develop such a material, the last engineering use for it would be in audio.

Sellerwithintegrity,

No, I don't agree with your lame conclusion. By that same logic your furnace is lighter than air too. Read your first post where you state that this particular ribbon isn't actually lighter than air but the next one will be. High end audio is filled with this type of marketing hype. Call it what you want but to me it's snake oil sales tactics. Again, these may be great speakers (we'll see) but this is an over the top claim which promises to bring snickers from anyone with a small amount of scientific knowledge. My guess is that you'll get beat up pretty badly in your own showroom if you stick with this pitch.

Hi Duke,

Since I was the first to fire a shot across your bow in this thread I now propose we simply allow you to show your wares at CES and other venues. I take no offense at your rebuttals while I still view the parsing of words such as "it's lighter than THE air it moves" akin to what the meaning of IS, is. I've repeatedly expressed that these may indeed be top drawer speakers, and we'll find out reasonably soon, which is good enough for me. What leaves me opened minded is Albert Porter being a Texas dealer. I doubt that Albert would be in this position unless someone who he respects a great deal made this recommendation, and Albert comes closer to soaring with eagles than hanging out with turkeys. I apologize if I've offended and wish for this thread to end on a happy note, urging all members to reserve judgement until we receive comments from trusted sources based on listening tests.

Most of the folks here would snicker at my modest two channel analog system until they heard it but few would question what I've built with my own two hands in my "street legal" race car. Having followed engine, chassis, power trasmission and traction progess since the mid 60's I've discovered that equipment manufacturers who use figures to lie also use partially clad, "fun bag" equipped models to avert the interested party's attention away from their outrageous claims. All of this may not apply to Gilmore speakers but simply be a poor marketing judgement call to folks like myself.

I trust that you are so close to and excited about this potentially great product that you don't understand our healthy skepticizm when faced with marketing statements that may push the envelope for credibility. That's how I'm reading your replies.

There isn't anywhere for this thread to go but way downhill from here unless we all back off a little, give everything the benefit of the doubt and reserve judgement. Since you have picked an especially powerful username I trust that you are hearing great things when auditioning this product.

Peace to all and especially you Duke. I know this hasn't been easy on you. I give you a lot of credit for taking the heat here. You've tried to explain each problem area. The only thing you have not addressed is price. How about a ball park figure here, say within $5,000?

Patrick

Thanks Dawgbyte. I guessed I missed noticing the price, instead focusing on the center channel. Funny, but if I bought them, my wallet would be lighter than air.