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Hard Audio - Ceramic Speakers

Hi Gang,
One thing I think about both as a listener and speaker builder is ceramic drivers, such as the famous Accutons. I'm talking true ceramics, not sandwiches here. I'll include here hard diamond drivers as well, not vapor deposited diamond dust.

Some of what I've seen is super impressive in terms of specifications, and design far beyond merely the dome materials.

I've never ever been moved though. For whatever reason, every ceramic speaker I've heard sounded cold, clinical, pure without power.

What are your experiences? Have you heard ceramic speakers that made you really feel you had experienced something great?
erik_squires
tutetibiimperes
202 posts
 
The great expense may be worth it for marketing purposes alone.  I’ve never heard the speaker, maybe the diamond midrange is something special, but the B&W diamond tweeters don’t sound any better than the beryllium domes or RAAL or Aurum Cantus ribbons, or Legacy AMTs I’ve heard IMO. 
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
1,219 posts
 
The Marten speakers used to be thst way very neutral a bit too cool, ,but they changed the crossover parts I believe to Mundorf s best Silver Gold oil
That changed their sonic voice to much richer and involving 
The crossover is the Heart of the speaker..
exfoliate
20 posts
 
@tutetibiimperes114 

From what I read on DIY sites the B&W diamond tweeter isn't considered anywhere near the same class as the Accuton or Seas diamond tweeter.


tutetibiimperes
202 posts
 
Yikes, at $7,100/pair for the Seas or $3,700/pair for the Accutons, those had better be something amazing.  Given that most of us can't hear much beyond 14khz or so once we're nearing 40, I think I'll take a pass on those.

FWIW I did think the Accuton ceramic midrange sounded excellent on the Salk Song3As.  Salk is using another fancy midrange in the Song3 Encores, a magnesium cone with a bunch of holes drilled into it and some sort of (polymer I believe) backing made by Eton, which didn't sound bad, but the room those were in at Axpona wasn't set up as well as the room with the Song3As, so probably not a fair comparison.  
racedoc
39 posts
 
Hi Erik,

I´ve heared a couple of speakers using Accuton ceramic and diamond
chassis.

It seems to me, that especially the cross-overs are essential for a
natural sound.

A few companies are really producing bad, harsh and unnaturally
sounding speakers (to my ears) using (Accuton) ceramic chassis.
Marten, Gauder and Raidho were not bad. The only company which
produces speakers which are able to "sing musically" (to my ears)
is Tidal Audio.
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