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Who's heard the Kii Three speakers?

Keith,

The conventional speakers we have here are super, but they can't do what the Kii ( and Beolabs ) can, those two designs are the next logical step in loudspeaker design
It seems to me the next logical step in speaker design is vibrating air molecules directly without a diaphragm of some sort.

Maybe the diaphragm-less speaker is as elusive to audio as Mr. Fusion is to energy production.

Joe
 
Keith,


It seems to me the next logical step in speaker design is vibrating air molecules directly without a diaphragm of some sort.

Maybe the diaphragm-less speaker is as elusive to audio as Mr. Fusion is to energy production.

Joe

Well, that's kind of what Quads, Martin Logans etc are. A speaker (almost) without a diaphragm.

Joe, you have seen the future, and it's the past.
 
Matt,

They're close but still not quite what I'm imagining. I'm thinking of something like those ionic speakers that were briefly in vogue among the well-heeled in the 1970s and 1980s. Maybe they generate too much ozone to be used in a domestic environment.

I do like Quads, and the newer Martin Logans with active bass drivers are really stunning.

Joe
 
It seems to me the next logical step in speaker design is vibrating air molecules directly without a diaphragm of some sort.

Joe

A kind of audio|de-tuned Mindmeld would do very nicely. But when streaming services & marketers get hold of that, there'll be no bloody escape from the adverts.

HortaStream - makes all legacy audio equipment sound like so many nodules. Hmm, had an idea; I might be a while...
 
Martin,

Would Horta-fi be silicon-based or thermionic?

Joe
 
Matt,

They're close but still not quite what I'm imagining. I'm thinking of something like those ionic speakers that were briefly in vogue among the well-heeled in the 1970s and 1980s. Maybe they generate too much ozone to be used in a domestic environment.

I do like Quads, and the newer Martin Logans with active bass drivers are really stunning.

Joe

Martin Logans :)

31238409665_f6356381b1_k.jpg
[/url]IMG_5014 - Copy by Matthew Bell, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
I am fairly indifferent to the styling. I must say I prefer nice wood in general, though I am aware that rectangular boxes with spaced drivers are non-optimum acoustically.
I would certainly like to hear them one day.
Generally my only concern about this sort of technology is the availability of spares in the long term. Old tech drivers and amps can still sound lovely and can normally be repaired.
My Proac EBS are 30+ years old but have ATC mid domes and bass cones which they happily service. Most of the amps I have here use parts which can be replaced fairly easily.
 
Matt,

They're close but still not quite what I'm imagining. I'm thinking of something like those ionic speakers that were briefly in vogue among the well-heeled in the 1970s and 1980s. Maybe they generate too much ozone to be used in a domestic environment.

I do like Quads, and the newer Martin Logans with active bass drivers are really stunning.

Joe

There are still ionic tweeters in some speakers, Acapella for example.
The limitation of planar speakers is what to do with the radiation from the "other" side of the diaphragm. Much as I loved the ones I had they added too much on my room acoustics to that on the recording.
Front loaded horns may be more like your ideal since they are an acoustic transformer and fairly directional too.
They are bulky and expensive though.
 
I am fairly indifferent to the styling. I must say I prefer nice wood in general, though I am aware that rectangular boxes with spaced drivers are non-optimum acoustically.
I would certainly like to hear them one day.
Generally my only concern about this sort of technology is the availability of spares in the long term. Old tech drivers and amps can still sound lovely and can normally be repaired.
My Proac EBS are 30+ years old but have ATC mid domes and bass cones which they happily service. Most of the amps I have here use parts which can be replaced fairly easily.

There may be a pair at Scalford, if there is a Scalford!
Keith
 
The pairs we have supplied ,
Subvert mastering
Break the Norm
University of Falmouth (music department)
Next pair are destined for Swift mastering.
I could ask Kii for the world wide list if you like?
Keith
 


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