Ribbon tweeters...out of favor these days?


Hi,

Just a quick question about ribbon tweeters on tower speakers. Has the technology with metal dome and fabric dome tweeters produced results that obviate the need for or advantage of ribbon tweeters. I know that some manufactures such as VMPS and Legacy still seem to favor ribbons, at least as a super tweeter.

But I have been researching speakers, and it seems most of the mid to upper line brands such as B&W, Thiel, Vandersteen, Eggleston, and others employ some type of dome tweeter.

What are the relative advantages/disavantages of each type for a 50/50 mix of music and home theater?
mtrot

Showing 1 response by ojgalli

Ribbon and ribbon-like tweeters are "faster" in that they can produce extended ultrasonic frequencies. The questions to ask are, how important are ultrasonics, and are they in the recording?

Ribbons/planars typically have a rising response or peak in the mid/upper treble. This response is often favored by those with some high-end hearing loss.

Ribbons typically have higher levels of distortion, interpreted positively as detail and speed, or negatively as etched and "too hi-fi."