LSi-style Ring Radiator tweeters appearing on other brands

know nothing
know nothing Posts: 24
edited October 2007 in Speakers
I tagged this question on the end of a different thread and didn't get an answer so am bringing it to the top here.

I am noticing "Polk-like" LSi-style Ring Radiator tweeters appearing on several new very high end loudspeakers from other companies (e.g. Magico, Sonus Faber). Does Polk manufacture this unit and distribute them, or is Polk purchasing them from the same source as these other speaker makers?
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  • rskarvan
    rskarvan Posts: 2,374
    edited September 2007
    Polk buys em from Vifa.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited September 2007
    It's a Vifa tweeter made to Polk's specification. So while Polk doesn;t manufacture it, they have tested it extensively and had Vifa tweak it their specification.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • know nothing
    know nothing Posts: 24
    edited September 2007
    Thanks.
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  • SKsolutions
    SKsolutions Posts: 1,820
    edited September 2007
    now you know something
    -Ignorance is strength -
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  • Yashu
    Yashu Posts: 772
    edited September 2007
    Other manufacturers are, indeed, using the Vifa tweeter, but is it the same one that polk helped tweak and test?

    Also, I am pretty sure that there are other ring radiators out there... Sonus Faber uses a ring radiator tweeter, for instance, but do you think it is this Vifa? I don't think it is, but it certainly uses the same idea.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    ScanSpeak makes a very nice ring radiator as well. I heard them on a pair of GamuT L7's I think they were. Much more expensive however.

    Mike
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    My dealer just emailed me to invite me over to listen to a new speaker that he has. It too has a ring radiator..I know he is a big fan of the ring radiator tweeter himself. I do not know who makes it....although these speaker look proprietary. It is the Gemme Tanto...looks very interesting to me.

    http://66.130.192.248:9081/gemmeAudio/features/Products.html

    Mike
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited September 2007
    That's a handsome loudspeaker Mike. Wow.

    What's the pricepoint?
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Yashu
    Yashu Posts: 772
    edited September 2007
    I do not know who makes it....although these speaker look proprietary.[/B]

    Those are quite stunning, however I doubt it is a tweeter done in-house. All their other speakers use sourced drivers, and a smaller company is just not going to be building that kind of driver in-house (if that is what you meant)... at least I would not imagine it.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    It is listed on his site for 6K Cdn

    Hard to imagine such a small speaker with a relatively small driver can go that deep.

    Mike
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    never mind....deleted due to illiteracy apparently
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
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  • Yashu
    Yashu Posts: 772
    edited September 2007
    Horns rock... although I am not sure about the two way design with just a tweeter cap for a crossover. I suppose if it measures well, then it doesn't matter how it is designed.

    Honestly, I have always wanted to hear a fostex based design to see what it is about.
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited September 2007
    Midnite Mick wrote: »
    Hard to imagine such a small speaker with a relatively small driver can go that deep.

    Those stats can't be correct. Is it +/- 3 dB?
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    Early B. wrote: »
    Those stats can't be correct. Is it +/- 3 dB?

    It doesn't say..so yeah I am sure that it isn't as I questioning this to myself as well.

    I too would love to hear one of these types of speakers. Has anyone ever heard the Zu Druid....or the double Zu Druid (can't think of name and too lazy to look up right now, but you know what I am talking about) which goes very low if I remember correctly. It just seems to me it would sound so pure.

    When I was building my Exodus kit I played around with the little wr125 driver running magnet wire to it straight from the amps, using alligator clips. The purity was very enjoyable. It didn't go very low it just sounded so clean.

    Mike
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
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  • Yashu
    Yashu Posts: 772
    edited September 2007
    The Zu is extremely colored, that is what I have heard from others. Hard to imagine that huge driver being full range.

    I like the idea of full range drivers... I feel like most speakers do not have a natural roll off of the HF. I know that I am going to be saying something anti-audiophile here, but super extended HF give me such a headache. I'll bet the fostex has a nice natural rolloff and sounds very pleasant.
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  • SKsolutions
    SKsolutions Posts: 1,820
    edited September 2007
    Vifa is no more as of 2006, they are still producing in conjunction with Peerless under the 'v-line' moniker. They were merged back in 2000. So, even though Vifa has the patent on the dual concentric ring radiator, it would go to Tymphany, which owns both companies along with ScanSpeak, and their own stuff. There are quite a few iterations bearing all three of the names. I'd like to see that design done with Scan's AirCirc magnet structure.
    -Ignorance is strength -
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,007
    edited September 2007
    http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=264-555

    264-555m.jpg
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  • SKsolutions
    SKsolutions Posts: 1,820
    edited September 2007
    "Tymphany
    Peerless v-line (Vifa)

    Tymphany has recently made some changes to the Vifa line. The Vifa name has been retired and is now called the Peerless V-line. Many older Vifa units are being retired and the current line consists of the "HT" and "PL" series. All new driver development will be in the Peerless line. <br>

    Many older Vifa units are being retired and the current line consists of the ST and PL platforms. All new driver expansion will be in the Peerless line. We have stocked up on many older Vifa units, but this will be the last. No repair parts will be offered.    "

    http://www.madisound.com/vifa.html#ht

    xt25tg30_l.gif
    -Ignorance is strength -
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  • Woody
    Woody Posts: 3
    edited September 2007
    Actually, Von Schweikert now uses the "revelator" tweeter which is ring radiator that I believe is a scanspeak tweeter in all of their $20k and up speakers.

    I have the VR4 genIIISE that uses the tweeter that you have pictured here. I think at the time it was oficially a vifa model. AWESOME tweeter!!
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    The revelator I believe is actually a soft dome tweeter. They do have a ring radiator as well found in these beauties.


    http://www.gamutaudio.com/products/category.asp?cat=5

    Mike

    edit: never mind saw that the ring radiator is also called the revelator.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,093
    edited September 2007
    Midnite Mick wrote: »
    My dealer just emailed me to invite me over to listen to a new speaker that he has. It too has a ring radiator..I know he is a big fan of the ring radiator tweeter himself. I do not know who makes it....although these speaker look proprietary. It is the Gemme Tanto...looks very interesting to me.

    http://66.130.192.248:9081/gemmeAudio/features/Products.html

    Mike

    Stay away you sap!!! I think everytime your dealer wants to go on vacation, he tells you about something new & exciting...has you take it home & "BAM" theres's his funds for a 2wk hiatis.
    They sure are purdy though!!! Let us know what you think of them. Pricing???
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    Nah...no risk here. They are way out of my price range anyway (list of 6K). I am thrilled with my current speakers for now.... a great feeling in its own right.

    I have to investigate a little bit of an incident here. However, if everything checks out well I will probably be picking up a couple of Thunderbird cords.

    Probably will go have a listen on Monday.

    Thanks,
    Mike
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
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  • Yashu
    Yashu Posts: 772
    edited September 2007
    The revelator looks more like the model used by Sonus Faber.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,093
    edited September 2007
    Midnite Mick wrote: »
    Nah...no risk here. They are way out of my price range anyway (list of 6K). I am thrilled with my current speakers for now.... a great feeling in its own right.

    I have to investigate a little bit of an incident here. However, if everything checks out well I will probably be picking up a couple of Thunderbird cords.

    Probably will go have a listen on Monday.

    Thanks,
    Mike

    Any link for those Thunderbird cords? You're right ...when you have a set of speakers that you really like, it's tough to jump ship.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited September 2007
    This gives description of just how much work goes into building these things. He says it takes the better part of a day to build one cord. I am interested in hearing the same cord with some of the other Oyaide ends that he offers before I settle on this one though.

    http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/66749-6sonsaudio_thunderbird_power_cord_6ft/
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,093
    edited September 2007
    Midnite Mick wrote: »
    This gives description of just how much work goes into building these things. He says it takes the better part of a day to build one cord. I am interested in hearing the same cord with some of the other Oyaide ends that he offers before I settle on this one though.

    http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/66749-6sonsaudio_thunderbird_power_cord_6ft/

    Thanks, I'll say they take some time to craft. I wouldn't have the patience.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited October 2007
    delete....decided to start a new thread instead.
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
    Consonance cd120T
    Consonance Cyber 800 tube monoblocks (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC's with Oyaide 004 terminations)
    Usher CP 6311

    Phillips Pronto TS1000 Universal Remote
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