Stand alone tweeters


Has/does anyone use these or anything like it? If I was going to purchase and hook them up I assume I would have to use a separate amp? They are 8 ohms and my Tylers are 4 ohms. I am tapped to the 4 ohm output of my Mcintosh now. The only way I think I could do it is to run the tweeters with the rear L&R of my Harmon Kardon, run it in full stereo mode and adjust the channel outputs accordingly. ( I use the Harmon Kardon as a pre and am not concerned about home theater). What do you guys/gals think?
nuguy
They do not require additional amplification; they are plug and play, having an internal high-pass filter within - you just connect them to the input binding posts of your existing speaker and they will take what they need from the signal. No direct experience to pass on, but it may be less expensive to get your hearing checked before you drop that kind of cash on a tweeter that has a lower range that ends at 15khz. I'd wager that many folks cannot hear that high, in which case I wonder if would make all the difference the reviewer claims. Usually, when integrating a driver into an existing speaker design you also want to make sure the sensitivity is similar to your existing drivers...in this case the driver has a 90db sensitivity. I wonder if, in the range it is reproducting, if this may not be as big an issue since it is being marketted and sold as it is.

I can't help but laugh looking at them as they remind me of those "Deer Whistles" they sell to mount on vehicles to scare away deer so you don't hit them in the road...the kind human's can't hear at all. The debates around those on the car and motorcycle forums may even be similar to what comes up with these things...the emperor's new clothes look a whole lot like his birthday suit!

Marco
I,too have been,and still am fascinated with these.I have a speaker that is ruler flat to 25khz,but feel that the Murata has the capability(?)of keeping my speaker competitive with the newer technology in tweets.The ceramic driver/wide dispersion factor seems fabulous.This is purely speculation,by me,and I am truly hesitant to make this move without more than just some good product reviews,as it can also backfire(the Murata comes in at 15khz,which is a bit low,for me).The Townshend Super Tweeter is another alternative(I have heard it with very good results,but the speaker rolled off at 17khz),and does not come in until 20,000khz.It has adjustable gain too,yet I have the sneaky suspician that the Murata is the higher quality design,and a "Diamond Killer",to boot.

I hope you do get some meaningful feedback here!

Best!
They work. I use Aurum Cantus ribbons with custom foils, but I use an active crossover and a separate amp. I think the issues are speed, dispersion and harmonics. Even if your speakers have response past 20Khz, are they really really fast above 10KhZ, and do they project that spectrum with extremely high energy and dispersion? Most diaphragms just are not fast enough, and you can hear the speed limitations.
The supertweeters add illumination and detail to the imaging.
You may not be aware of it until your turn them off and notice some of the light go out of the stage. Of course, the source matters, vinyl benefits most, but Redbook and digital can also benefit.
Ribbon tweeters can add air and even timing to your system.I use a Fountek JP2 with a 0.5 mF cap.This is an affordable and effective way of doing this.If your speakers are not sensitive some attenuation might be needed.

JT