The best tweeter design

As the facts unravel I’ve found this to be true: Tweeters don’t tweet by themselves as the design of the crossovers and any element the designer utilizes to make ’em work seems to trump (sorry, I hate that word) the physical material…I’ve had ribbons, horns, soft domes, magnesium/aluminum, etc., and some are bright, others not so much…some more coherant than others, and all having seemingly zero to do with the material they’re made from.

You know everyone who is lauding the MBL tweeters, I wonder how much of it is really the tweeters. I mean, if you turned them off, you'd still hear most of the piano notes. :)

Perhaps there is more to the MBL sound than _just_ the tweeters?

Best,

E

Late to the party....

wolf__garcia *L* The 'organic approach' isn't for everyone.  Besides, having to replace the bird after every session is really a PIA.....

Eric, absolutely right.  The smaller AMT's, esp. the one's made to 'front radiate' only seem to be a general disaster.  Perhaps size does matter in this regard too.
A lot of the less expensive 'leaf' planars seem to be fails as well.  Again, perhaps the radiation issue.  The only ones to seem to have gotten that right is Newform.  I'm surprised I never 'hear' anyone mention them.

There's only one source for a 'commercial' plasma that I've seen; you can DIY them, but you'd best be committed to that quest.  That, and a bright spot of light burned into your eyeballs. ;)

But all of the best of the above are dipoles or an omni....which requires a change of mind and taste....not to mention a revamp of the listening array and space....

Well, MHO....

@prof Thx for the info. Good to know. I’ve got a 50w/ch p/p triode tube amp and and a 100w/ch Class A SS amp. Let’s see if a pair of 121 Radiator’s can find their way here someday.

At the recent LAAS, the rep said that MBL provided all of the electronics for recording of Martin Vatter’s ’Klangbilder 2’. Oh my! Through the 101E’s, the Steinway Concert Grand was in the room. As good as it gets.

Yup, I agree Eric. I’m not sure how much of the decay is from the tweeters. But, the entire presentation is quite impressive.

As Suncoast posted, it's about the material and speed matching the other drivers in the speaker.  That=implementation.  I personally haven't like the plasma system as there is a disconnect and lack of coherency to MY ears.  Many love them, but I always wonder about 'special' tweeters. So many who have them, market the tweeter and not the speaker as a whole.  Most to me, have lacked a coherency that is needed in order to trick our brains into thinking we are listening to 'live music'.  

As Suncoast knowns I haven't spend much time with recent horns and will when I get down to Sarasota to visit family again.  

I too hear the ringing on so many of the exotics out there.  That and the coherency of the Vandersteen line is what drives me there. I never was into them until fairly recently.  I still really like some other speakers. Heck the Tidal's with their 'black diamond' tweeters can sound awfully musical and enjoyable.  I just expect a ton from speakers costing over 10k a pair regardless of what materials they use.  That's just me.