Ron’s New System

[Ron Resnick]

Hi Ron,
The RD75 is indeed a planar magnetic design and not a true ribbon. A ribbon is free standing and moves easily (you can blow in it and moves around) and only supported at the ends; however, a ribbon can be pure foil or traces on plastic. A planar magnetic driver is clamped on all sides and under tension like an electrostatic panel. This restricts the range of motion and planar magnetics can only be plastic membranes with a metal trace either etched or glued onto the plastic membrane and this acts as the voice coil.

A ribbon driver has magnets in rows on either side of the ribbon so that the ribbon is always immersed in the magentic field. A planar magnetic driver will have either magnets behind the membrane/voice coil or will have magnets on both sides of the membrane/voice coil to create a push/pull design. The RD75 has magnets on both front and back. Old Apogees were a hybrid where the mid/high was a true ribbon and the bass panel was a planar magnetic...same with Magnepans that have a true ribbon tweeter...Diptyque, Alsyvox and Clarisys are all hybrids in that sense. Eminent technology is all planar magnetic I think. To the best of my knowledge, there is no speaker that is a true ribbon over the full frequency range.
Cheers,
Brad

Thank you very much, Brad!

This gives me an idea: I think somebody should produce a field coil magnetic planar driver or a field coil ribbon driver.

We have seen the positive reports about the DaVA cartridge. I have heard what field coil does for the Wolfie and for the Songer.

Why not a field coil magnetic planar or ribbon planar dipole? I bet the sensitivity of the speaker would go up!

 

[morricab]

Thank you very much, Brad!

This gives me an idea: I think somebody should produce a field coil magnetic planar driver or a field coil ribbon driver.

We have seen the positive reports about the DaVA cartridge. I have heard what field coil does for the Wolfie and for the Songer.

Why not a field coil magnetic planar or ribbon planar dipole? I bet the sensitivity of the speaker would go up!

I think the problem would be all those separate magnets in a planar magnetic driver. A moving coil speaker only has one magnet to energize.

 

[cjfrbw]

Why not a field coil magnetic planar or ribbon planar dipole? I bet the sensitivity of the speaker would go up!

I think this is a great idea for a propeller head to experiment with. Why not?

 

[JackD201]

Well, if your ever near Switzerland you can look me up.
Cheers,
Brad

I will Brad. I was there late last year. I should have looked you up.

 

[morricab]

I think this is a great idea for a propeller head to experiment with. Why not?

I think this would be a horrific exercise...a hundred electromagnets (or however many are in an RD75 sized driver)??

 

[Ron Resnick]

Today I received the HRS M3X2 Isolation Base for the Brinkmann Balance 2 Arm. This is a heavy (62 pounds), very serious, beautifully-made piece!

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have no place to put the HRS platform except on the floor. But I reckon that having the turntable on the floor will not make for very convenient turntable operation. And J.R. is a tall guy. I'm not sure he can align the cartridges from a lying down prone sniper position.

So I have commissioned Peter Noerbaek of PBN Audio to fabricate a custom stand which he can powdercoat a color that pretty closely matches the silver edge trim of the HRS platform.

 

[thekong]

Hi Ron, just curious, why don’t you use the HRS racks for the turntable? I would think that’s a perfect match to the HRS platform. You don’t like the styling or something else?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Hi Ron, just curious, why don’t you use the HRS racks for the turntable? I would think that’s a perfect match to the HRS platform. You don’t like the styling or something else?

Actually I like the HRS styling very much! Especially the VXR! But it is very expensive. And with the turntable outside of the listening room I don't think I need that fancy isolation capability.

 

[Rexp]

Actually I like the HRS styling very much! Especially the VXR! But it is very expensive. And with the turntable outside of the listening room I don't think I need that fancy isolation capability.

Will your man servant be changing the records?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Will your man servant be changing the records?

I don't understand.

 

[Rexp]

I don't understand.

Turntable outside the listening room...how you gonna change records

 

[Ron Resnick]

Turntable outside the listening room...how you gonna change records

It's only about five steps -- does not even count as exercise. At least the trip to the record/tape storage area includes a staircase walk.

 

[morricab]

It's only about five steps -- does not even count as exercise. At least the trip to the record/tape storage area includes a staircase walk.

Well, most audiophiles are not notorious for physical fitness...

 

[Ron Resnick]

Well, most audiophiles are not notorious for physical fitness...

Nope. I think that's why audiophiles describe copying CDs to a computer as "ripping," as it suggests exercise, or at least motion.

 

[Steve Williams]

Morning to all. I had the pleasure of spending yesterday afternoon with Ron at his house and to hear his wonderful system. Its been several years since I had been to Ron's house so it was wonderful to start the visit with a tour of Ron's house. What an absolutely beautiful job he did of his home as it is now almost completely renovated and Ron has spared no details.Kudos Ron for a 7 year exercise in restoring the beauty to your home after the adversities. Last time I was there I had to walk across a plank to get in the front door as they were building a moat around the house to fix the water leak from the hill adjacent to his side of the house. Everything was almost complete. Ron's listening room has been virtually completed 3 months ago and Ron has done a beautiful job of assembling his speakers, wiring and electronics where all the wire has been tastefully hidden. As for the man servant who will change records, this is all of a 5 step trek into the room where all of his front end components are. Ron is using a vintage Denon turntable as his Brinkmann Balance has arrived in California so I am betting that will be the next set up for Ron.We played several records all of which I am very foamier and even through this inexpensive TT the sound was very good. What I thought to be superb was listening to Ro's Studer A820 and many of his excellent tapes.They sounded beautiful. And much to everyone's delight Ron has a Lampi Baltic 4 and an Innocuous Streamer powered by a LPS. I thought Ron's digital setup for him (who is a confirmed analoguephile) was very good. I have read where Ron and guests initially complained of brightness. I heard none if that yesterday. The speakers are drop dead gorgeous and Ron is now in the process of dialing everything in. The system was very good and has great potential. I think dialing in a system such as this does not happen overnight but knowing Ron's determination it will happen. The trick is that the front of his room is 14'6" tall but by the kitchen side of the room the ceiling IIRC is 9 feet tall. This resulted in 2 too modes that Ron has tamed using a piece of equipment I have never heard of call AVAA. This apparently searches out the offending room modes and somehow tames them. He had one in the 2 front corners and another in the center behind the listening chair.
It was a fun afternoon and a big thank you to Ron who has waited years to assemble this system. It was good to see the glow in his eyes as the result of his incredible work to bring this all to fruition. There is no doubt more to come as he continues to fine tune his system. The room and system is simply beautiful and so well thought out that I would encourage anyone who is in the area to ask Ron for an audition. You won't be disappointed. I am looking forward to my next trip back to hear the Brinkmann Balance. Thank you Ron and the grin on your face is well deserved

 

[Steve Williams]

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you very much, Steve, for the kind words!

I am very happy you were able to visit yesterday!

 

[Steve Williams]

Put me on the list when the Brinkmann arrives

 

[Ron Resnick]

I think the Denon/Hana is continuing to contribute a little bit of undesirable brightness. I definitely am getting pretty darn excited to get in the Brinkmann Balance 2 Arm with, first, the Graham Phantom Elite. My long-term plan has been to put the ZYX UNIverse Premium on the Graham, and the Grado on the Reed 5T. But since the Reed 5T won't be installed for months, I am kind of dying to hear the Grado ASAP. So I think I will ask J.R. to put the Grado on the Graham.

Among other tapes I played for Steve Chad's Scheherazade, and I heard no brightness. I also heard on tape no more brightness than usual (actually, slightly less brightness than usual) on Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water.