The configuration of a ribbon tweeter is significantly different to that of a more traditional dome tweeter. Ribbon drivers use a very thin diaphragm that sits flat against the face of the speaker, this is often made using fine aluminium contributing to the lighter weight of the driver; the weight-weight construction is an important factor when constructing Ribbon tweeters as it helps the driver to be be more responsive, even to the most subtle waveforms, and highest of frequencies.
The Ribbon tweeter is then driven by some form of magnet system running adjacently to the tweeter, and this assists in the even distribution of the audio signal so that sound is consistent with fewer structural break-ups.
One of the key benefits of the ribbon technology include its higher efficiency, and excellent cooling properties, thus preventing thermal compressions, as well as its highly linear and distortion free sound reproduction.
Ribbon systems are therefore ideal for high and midrange frequencies. However, compared to conventional cone and dome drivers, the technical effort involved in the construction of ribbon systems is considerably greater.
The key element behind all of Piega's ribbon technology systems is that the membrane used also acts as the voice coil , i.e. the actual driver. This membrane can be kept ultra-thin and thus very light because it is caused to vibrate evenly over its entire surface.
This small moving mass in turn allows the membranes to be accelerated extremely quickly so that they can follow the music signal precisely. For example, the membrane of Piega's LDR tweeters is 50 times lighter than conventional dome tweeters, creating far greater results for minimal effort.
The LineSource drivers have a very unique design. Unlike the coaxial midrange tweeter systems, the tweeter is not designed as a point source but as a line source. This enables Piega to cascade several of these systems vertically to form a genuine line source.
The LineSource drivers are dipoles that radiate to the front and back at the same time, thus giving music a particularly spatial and live quality and giving listeners the impression of being located at the center of the musical experience.
The special feature of the coaxial ribbon tweeters is that the entire frequency range above 400 hertz is radiated from the same point source. This means that the audio signals always reach the listener’s ear cleanly – irrespective of the height or angle of the loudspeaker in relation to the listener.
Furthermore, Piega's ribbon systems ensure that the direct sound components and the sound reflected from the surfaces of the room always reach the listeners in the correct phase, loudspeakers with coaxial ribbons also react far less to different room acoustics. For you this means that a COAX loudspeaker sounds “right” in every room.
The LDR ribbon tweeters essentially embody all of PIEGA’s experience in the construction of ribbon systems. Designs that have been optimized over decades today enable us to produce virtually faultless sound systems. Besides the optimized layout of the flat coil, the same system is used for damping the membrane as with the Coax and Line Source drivers.
Exceptional resolution capacity, perfect linearity in frequency and time, fantastic efficiency and perfect decay behaviour are only some of the features of the legendary tweeters. Extremely light membranes and the strongest driver provide the foundation for unmatched musical enjoyment.
