Rich, thank you for your thought full questions.
Hi John, thans for hangin around here to answer questions and tell us more about your speaks.
Some questions I thought of while reading your site:
How good is vertical treble dispersion above the height of the top of the speaker?
• I would say way better than I would have expected even in the anechoic chamber.
Do you rely on floor reinforcement for bass or can the speaker be raised up to mitigate the height issue, if there is any?
• Well, I have not had an opportunity to try that, raising it up in the air.
Are you concerned with diffraction or turbulence caused by the sharp edges of the triangular diaphragm? Turbulence being non-linear I would think you would want to minimize that.
• Well on an airfoil as the chord gets shorter and the length of the wing gets longer turbulence approaches zero. Guess what?
At higher frequencies I would guess that the diaphragm is vibrating rotationally through a very small angle. Does the frequency response vary through an arc? Put another way, do the points and flats of the diaphragm project sound different from each other enough to affect tone in different horizontal listening locations?
• Well I think the diaphragm is too small in cross section for that to be audible at listening distance. Here again I need to have this thing modeled on a computer.
I am curious about what looks to be a rather high moving mass if traditional high strength materials are used. With steel frame to support the diaphragm faces, rotational axle and bearings, 48" x 3/4" carbon faces, and a voice coil with what looks to be a very high moment of inertia, minimizing moving mass must have been a major design criteria. Voice coil current capacity vs. wire mass must have been a tricky compromise too. Maybe silver windings?
• You will not believe how efficient this thing is given the really small magnets! The voice coil actually leverages its length (grin or groan).
Beryllium, magnesium and ceramic drivers, as well as some ultralightweight paper drivers, ESL and true ribbon transducers are all very low mass and provide extreme detail. Can the Planot hang with these big boys at the microdetail party? That's what a lot of audiophiles really like - when the detail remains within the bounds of a musical performance.
• Microdetail, you want microdetail? Ha ha. I think everyone is going to be very surprised about the high frequency response as much as they are about the low frequency response.
I am formulating a theory about that and it has to do with the fact that diaphragms must be rigid. Period. Anything less that absolute rigidity is a disaster. But tweeters must be light not so much because of the principal of lighter equals better performance but lighter allows for a more compliant surround. This is the critical point. The surround (and spider) are evil! They are the components that allow cones and domes to work. What do you do. You do away with their dictatorship. Once you are freed from the surround then the diaphragm can be absolutely rigid because its own weight, for one thing, does not have to be supported by the surround. The support of the diaphragm is independent of performing other contradictory functions like "holding the diaphragm up against gravity." The support, centering and dampening functions can be separated and each function performed by an appropriate and separate subassembly. Form separates functions.
I noticed that the purple text used to identify parts of the speaker in your 'How it works' section are unreadable against the blue background, hindering the explanation. Also the fixed popup window size does not allow the pixels on the bottom of the picture to be seen. No biggie, I just can't help myself but to mention it.
• Everyone else has said the inverse to me.
The press will always follow a good story, so you can make a story worthy of their attention by letting loudmouth audiophiles hear your speakers and tell everybody they know. Probably the most economical and practical way to expose the speakers to the ears of many audiophiles is to exhibit your speakers at Rocky Mountain Audio Festival. All of the press now gives it full coverage, maybe equal to CES for 2channel audio gear. It is cheaper than CES to exhibit and it is a great place to interface with your potential customers, get feedback from hundreds of attendees and press, and if your exhibit is exceptional, you will get some print. If you are seeking a review in a major magazine there is only one way to get that, now someone or exhibit at a tradeshow where the reviewers scout for products that make stories that will sell magazines. Planot on the cover of Stereophile? I would wanna read that article!
• I hope to be at Rocky Mountain next year. The main audiophile paper magazines usually do not review prototypes although I'd obviously love to have them as guests as I have stated many times and in many places and that may yet happen.
I hope you would consider publishing buildable plans for your speakers. If someone of mgalusha's stature in the DIY community were to say "Yeah, not bad..." there would be a lot of people that would become very interested very quickly. Don't discount the forums as a place to build your business from grass roots without the press. Press will catch on when there is something in it for them moneywise. Audiophiles just want stuff that sounds good, and they will tell the honest truth according to their beliefs. 100 Planots being talked about regularly by diyaudiophiles will establish that "averaged review concensus" you described. If your invention is patented you can harvest the experience and experimenting effort of your DIY builders, building a reputation and creating a movement. Manufacturers will be more interested in licensing your transducer if it is already working in people's homes. Same as any novel invention.
• You hit the nail on the head. You have just stated an excellent strategy! Who will be the first?
Sorry for the long wind, and thanks for your reponses to my questions! I hope I have not put you on the spot, just genuinely interested in something so radical and with such great potential. Thanks!
Rich
