[Kokomo O]

The patent is pending, it takes several years for the office to issue (or decline) a patent...

Oh, I should have figured you just filed it. Yes, it generally takes one to three years before the PTO publishes your patent, another year or two for issuance or refusal to issue. Good luck with it.

 

[the-kraken]

Legacy Audio uses pleated ribbon tweeters for their Aeris model. http://legacyaudio.com/products/view/aeris/
I have seen these in some of the finest home theater setups on a lot of forums.

The ribbon tweeters in Legacy audio (and other manufacturers) perform very well, and are a fascinating technology - albeit a different one than shown in use with the alpha dogs. Most folded ribbon tweeters are a derivative of the Heil Motion Tweeter 1, first patented back in the early 70's. It's shaped like an accordion, and similarly - excites air by squeezing together and expanding like an accordion would.

The upside to this approach is that there is a lot more surface area in a ribbon tweeter, and they can play both higher and lower frequencies with less distortion. In good implementations you'll get effortless highs with superb detail. I have some Goldenear towers & satellites with ribbon tweeters, and they are pretty amazing,

/sorry for the off topic - just didn't want anyone to confuse the technologies

 

[wahsmoh]

The ribbon tweeters in Legacy audio (and other manufacturers) perform very well, and are a fascinating technology - albeit a different one than shown in use with the alpha dogs. Most folded ribbon tweeters are a derivative of the Heil Motion Tweeter 1, first patented back in the early 70's. It's shaped like an accordion, and similarly - excites air by squeezing together and expanding like an accordion would.

The upside to this approach is that there is a lot more surface area in a ribbon tweeter, and they can play both higher and lower frequencies with less distortion. In good implementations you'll get effortless highs with superb detail. I have some Goldenear towers & satellites with ribbon tweeters, and they are pretty amazing,

/sorry for the off topic - just didn't want anyone to confuse the technologies

I was relating the ribbon tweeters in the sense that they are not just ordinary ribbon tweeters but they use a "pleeted" technology that increases the surface area much like the V-planar or similar planar designs. That was my main point but I agree that ribbon tweeters are technically superior to dome tweeters and I would equate that to unfolding the accordian shaped tweeter and looking at the size of it compared to a 1-3'' dome tweeter.
 
Anyways I think we are both not off-topic from this discussion in the sense we are describing technologies that relate to the matter. Pleated ribbon tweeters are essentially doing the same as the "knurled" planar diaphragm in the sense that they are trying to gain more surface area whilst reducing THD. The confusion was not on the technology but the analogy of the pleated ribbon tweeter to the knurled planar.

 

[Jorge Luna]

I just picked up an used pair of Primes. The gimbals are a little loose, does any have any suggestions on tightening them up?

 

[mrspeakers]

  I just picked up an used pair of Primes. The gimbals are a little loose, does any have any suggestions on tightening them up?
 

 
If you mean the risers, it's easy.  Just 1/2 turn clockwise on the silver screw in the leather strap.

 

[Jorge Luna]

Thanks that got it. That was the first thing I tried. I guess those screws could go tighter after all. I'm really enjoying the Prime's. Congrats on all you've accomplished.

 

[Kamakahah]

I'll let you know. The NFB15 was my first foray in desktop amps and I was blown away by it. However it was too smooth with my primes. In a way I preferred the sound of my Fiio x5 dac with cayin c5 more, even if the sound lacks the same depth. I thought id give the ember a go as I can tube roll and learn what my ears like best.

That's the issue I had when I first tried the primes on the NFB-15 - To smooth, lacked articulation and attack. Dan's rig did the primes justice.
Looking forward to your thoughts with the Ember. Pretty sure I'm going to build the kit for it.

 

[M-83]

That's the issue I had when I first tried the primes on the NFB-15 - To smooth, lacked articulation and attack. Dan's rig did the primes justice.
Looking forward to your thoughts with the Ember. Pretty sure I'm going to build the kit for it.

That's exactly how I felt - I expected more "attack" from the setup. Hoping ember will deliver! Dan has said that ember is great, so it should be good

 

[ZGLISZCZ]

Mr Speakers, so how did you managed to fit in diaphragm back?

 

[XERO1]

Thanks for sharing Dan! It blew me away how much you got out those fostex drivers. I'm glad you've decided to revisit planar magnetic technology. So a different technology is used on your alpha dogs?

 
Same technology, new technique (knurling).

 

[ZGLISZCZ]

By the way I dont really understant this "patent pending" fashion. For me its too similar to ribbon and pleated diaphragms. I feel same about Oppo patent, MuZo2 have good point. Seems like "patent pending" term works as "marketing feature". LFF didnt patent anything and he once mentioned that his design might be approved for patent, so far noone has unveil his secret even if some of guys actually did opened his Paradox headphones. I think its all about being gentlemens... and Im wonder how Mr Speakers will figure which design violate his patent and which are just ordinary pleated diaphragm design... based on "feature" list in headphones description?

 

[MuZo2]

Just to clarify , my comments were not against the technology nor am I questioning the benefits it brings. Also I am sure Dan and his team has put lot of efforts and time to make it work with T50rp drivers. But I dont understand the patent issue also from OPPO.

 

[mrspeakers]

  Just to clarify , my comments were not against the technology nor am I questioning the benefits it brings. Also I am sure Dan and his team has put lot of efforts and time to make it work with T50rp drivers. But I dont understand the patent issue also from OPPO.

 
Igor filed his patent before he started designing for Oppo; it's quite different from ours as it (from my memory) deals with knurling specific parts of a driver vs the whole driver, which was dealt with in a prior patent.  This kind of illustrates a key point; a novel implementation of a technology related to prior art can be patented.  We believe what we've done is unique and specific and different enough to warrant investing in a patent, but of course the patent office may not agree. 
 
We don't claim we invented knurling, obviously, it's been around for ages.  We just invented a new approach we felt measurably improved performance over prior art.  There are specific criteria in the patent to define this, but I won't go into them in detail for now unless the patent is awarded. 

 

[ModMax]

thanks for posting this Dan. This explains all the midrange distortion.

 
How does Dan's V-Planar revelation explain the "midrange distortion" you hear (or measure)?  Can you elaborate on how you can correlate the V-Planar technique with midrange distortion?

 

[john57]

  By the way I dont really understant this "patent pending" fashion. For me its too similar to ribbon and pleated diaphragms.

From what I read the folder ribbon tweeter like the one's I have on my monitor operates in a different way from Dan's  implementation. First folder ribbon tweeter operates in the vertical plane by squeezing the air and therefore the air speed escaping from the tweeter can be five times greater than the vertical motion of the tweeter itself. That is the reason that folded ribbon tweeters are  sometimes called air motion transformers because of the speed changes.
 
One of the biggest limitation that I see with the magnetic planner driver is that the middle of the driver can move in greater distance than the near edges of the driver because of the lack of a flexible surround at the edges. For me that sounds a great deal of distortion.  For Dan's implementation the whole diaphragm moves together more as one. For me than means less distortion. Even a dome tweeter has a flexible surround moves more like a singular unit.