Plasma tweeter

[adyc]

One can damage conventional tweeter if overdriven. My question is whether one can damage plasma tweeter if overdriven?

 

[SlapEcho]

I suppose maybe the signal input electronics that modulate the audio signal to the plasma arc. Hard to tell without viewing schematics.

 

[adrianywu]

Which plasma tweeter are you using ? I am using the Acapella. It has a crossover inside that filters out the low frequencies. I think overdriving does its damage if there is a lot of low frequency content or even DC. The Lansch tweeter does not seem to have a crossover, and so if driven with low frequency, might be prone to damage.

 

[adyc]

Which plasma tweeter are you using ? I am using the Acapella. It has a crossover inside that filters out the low frequencies. I think overdriving does its damage if there is a lot of low frequency content or even DC. The Lansch tweeter does not seem to have a crossover, and so if driven with low frequency, might be prone to damage.

It is just a general question. Plasma tweeter does not have membrane or voice coil. It is just air. I wonder whether it can be damaged if overdriven. BTW, do you know how does Acapella addresses the health hazard? I read from the net that high voltage arc can produce ozone as well as nitrogen dioxide which is highly toxic.

 

[adrianywu]

It is just a general question. Plasma tweeter does not have membrane or voice coil. It is just air. I wonder whether it can be damaged if overdriven. BTW, do you know how does Acapella addresses the health hazard? I read from the net that high voltage arc can produce ozone as well as nitrogen dioxide which is highly toxic.

The Acapella has a brass horn. The ozone reacts with the brass. A green tarnish forms on the inside of the horn that needs to be polished off from time to time with Brasso. There is no health hazard other than making one want to listen all the time and becoming a couch potato !

 

[adyc]

The Acapella has a brass horn. The ozone reacts with the brass. A green tarnish forms on the inside of the horn that needs to be polished off from time to time with Brasso. There is no health hazard other than making one want to listen all the time and becoming a couch potato !

How does plasma tweeter sound compare to traditional tweeter? All the talks about beryllium, silk or other materials tweeter seems to me technical inferior. I always found traditional tweeters screech when driven to high level. But I never heard plasma tweeter. Wonder how they sound when driven to high level.

 

[adrianywu]

How does plasma tweeter sound compare to traditional tweeter? All the talks about beryllium, silk or other materials tweeter seems to me technical inferior. I always found traditional tweeters screech when driven to high level. But I never heard plasma tweeter. Wonder how they sound when driven to high level.

Once you have heard it, there is no going back. I have used metal tweeters such as JBL 075, 077, and settled on EV T350 using phenolic diaphragm. However, the plasma tweeters are in a different league. There is no harshness whatsoever, and violin sounds so real. There are downsides since you can get static noises if there is dust in the air, and of course, you need to change tubes (the coils are driven by PL509 beam power tubes) when they get noisy.

 

[adyc]

Can I ask which Acapella model do you have?

 

[thomask]

I still have Lansche 4.1 whose plasma tweeter is superb.

I had listened to several Accaphella speaker whose plama tweeter also sounds very nice.

But it is hard to tell which is better.

About 20 years ago I had chosen Lansche over Acappella not because of better treble but better integration of bass.

 

[adrianywu]

Can I ask which Acapella model do you have?

I am only using their plasma tweeters. I am using midrange and bass drivers from Classic Audio Loudspeakers in a 3-way arrangement.

 

[adrianywu]

I still have Lansche 4.1 whose plasma tweeter is superb.

I had listened to several Accaphella speaker whose plama tweeter also sounds very nice.

But it is hard to tell which is better.

About 20 years ago I had chosen Lansche over Acappella not because of better treble but better integration of bass.

I also managed to buy a pair of the Lansche plasma tweeters second-hand, but I have not set them up yet for comparison. They don't sell these separately anymore.

 

[Kvali1]

Hi! I’m new to this forum so please forgive me if this information has already been covered . I currently have Magico S7 speakers and I’m wondering if adding the acapella ion tw 1s tweeters would help with the soundstage and sound quality ; and if anyone here is using the acapella tweeter as a super tweeter , what cable are you using to make the connection , from reading the instructions one has to match polarity from speaker posts to single rca..

 

[adrianywu]

Hi! I’m new to this forum so please forgive me if this information has already been covered . I currently have Magico S7 speakers and I’m wondering if adding the acapella ion tw 1s tweeters would help with the soundstage and sound quality ; and if anyone here is using the acapella tweeter as a super tweeter , what cable are you using to make the connection , from reading the instructions one has to match polarity from speaker posts to single rca..

It depends which crossover frequency you want to employ. Generally, if you add the Ion TW1 at a frequency well below the cut off frequency of your existing tweeters, you should actually add a low pass filter to your existing tweeters, otherwise there will be a significant overlap. The cables do not matter since the current going to the Ion tweeters is very small. Just use whatever cables you are using or even just lamp cords.

 

[mtemur]

Hi! I’m new to this forum so please forgive me if this information has already been covered . I currently have Magico S7 speakers and I’m wondering if adding the acapella ion tw 1s tweeters would help with the soundstage and sound quality ; and if anyone here is using the acapella tweeter as a super tweeter , what cable are you using to make the connection , from reading the instructions one has to match polarity from speaker posts to single rca..

Not recommended.
Any additional non-factory driver will degrade SQ because it will change impedance of the speaker. Moreover super tweeter will ruin high frequencies because of the interference between tweeter and super tweeter. Crossing over from tweeter to super tweeter and phase relation is not an easy task that can be solved at home let alone ruined crossover impedance. Use your speaker as it is.

 

[exupgh12]

Hi! I’m new to this forum so please forgive me if this information has already been covered . I currently have Magico S7 speakers and I’m wondering if adding the acapella ion tw 1s tweeters would help with the soundstage and sound quality ; and if anyone here is using the acapella tweeter as a super tweeter , what cable are you using to make the connection , from reading the instructions one has to match polarity from speaker posts to single rca..

How is the environment in your room, and have you implemented any treatment? Based on my experience, soundstage issues with the S7 shouldn't be a concern.

 

[Kvali1]

How is the environment in your room, and have you implemented any treatment? Based on my experience, soundstage issues with the S7 shouldn't be a concern.

Yes full vicoustic room treatments , and my soundstage is pretty good .. but I’m yearning for a bit more but maybe I’m just being extra.

 

[Don Reid]

adrianywu, at what frequency do you cross over to the Acapella plasma tweeters? What slope is the xover? I am still toying with the idea of buying the plasma tweeters to go with my DIY horn system.​

 

[exupgh12]

Yes full vicoustic room treatments , and my soundstage is pretty good .. but I’m yearning for a bit more but maybe I’m just being extra.

since i presume from your answer that you properly treated your room based on measurements, i would consider experimenting with the speaker or seating adjustments for more satisfying results before considering integrating your speakers with the external tweeter.

 

[Kvali1]

Yes I’ve done adjustments and certainly makes a big difference .

 

[adrianywu]

adrianywu, at what frequency do you cross over to the Acapella plasma tweeters? What slope is the xover? I am still toying with the idea of buying the plasma tweeters to go with my DIY horn system.​

Crossover at 7KHz with 4th order LR slope.