All things being equal, yes.
Do larger planar speakers produce more accurate sound?
Planar speakers generate sound pressure via vibrating membrane panels. The excursion of the membrane x radiating area= sound pressure. This would mean that for a given sound level, membranes have smaller excursion in larger planar speakers than in smaller ones. Does this mean that larger speakers will produce more accurate sound?
I am not talking about the obvious benefits of the larger speakers in terms of low frequency production, so let's not get into that.
- ...
- 69 posts total
I can only answer your question based upon my ears and brain. I currently own Apogee Divas and Apogee Duetta Signiture ll’s. The Divas are substantially larger and go down to 25 hz compared to the Duetta’s 35 hz. The Divas sound more at ease and more lifelike at any volume. They also draw more current and have a lower ohm rating. They have greater impact on bass and drums. They make female voice and acoustic guitar and electric bass sound more real than any speaker I have heard, including everything at the Stereophile exhibition at San Francisco in 2006, including Wilson’s WAMM! Given the price of the WAMMs, I left the show not feeling the least bit that I was missing out on much. With that said, if given a choice, price not a consideration, I’d take the WAMMs for their overall impact. I haven’t had the benefit of hearing much newer stuff since. |
I have Quad 2905's which create a circular pattern where as the Quad 57's have a linear pattern. If you were to take the panels apart from both speakers, you'd see a remarkable difference. Anyway, the 57's have the best sounding mid range but the 2905's are full range so it's good to have a pair of both. |
I've owned a few planars over the years-Magneplanar i, Acoustat 1+1, Martin Logan Quest, and I've heard many iterations since. I like what good planar speakers can do--create an enveloping soundstage, deliver clean and clear sound without being unduly harsh or artificially "forced".(no sense of unnatural edginess to the attack of the note). But, like all speakers, there are some areas where they don't quite do so well, such as the requirement to be playing fairly loud to come to life (of course there are exceptions, like the Quad 57), and they are not as dynamic sounding as good horn-based systems. The main issue is that most are not quite efficient enough to play well with the kinds of amps I like the most--low powered tube amps. |
@larryi What is it about the low powered tube amps that you like so much? |
- 69 posts total