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Plasma tweeters!

Purité Audio

Purité Audio

Trade: Purite Audio
My new Lansche loudspeakers arrived today, they use a 'Corona' plasma tweeter, I am used to TAD compression drivers in my horns there is a 4001 and 703 , TAD are one of the best if not the best driver made, but the Lancshe's are superb, beautiful tone and timbre, dynamic extremely similar to the Cessaros just a smaller scale.
http://www.ib-lansche.de/haupt39179eng.html
Has anyone had any experience with Plasma, I only heard Lansche a couple of years ago at the Munich Hi-End, this year they also impressed with their incredible 'Cubus'.
Keith.
 
These are the first commercial plasma tweeters I have seen in many, many years. I seem to remember a company called Magnex, or something similar - they didn't use a horn to raise sensitivity though; I guess that is the function of the horn?

Do they have super high frequency extension then?
 
Yep - the Magnat tweeter - i remember Jimmy Hughes testing it in Hi-Fi Answers - brilliant device but its Ozone emissions put him off.

Keith - what do they do about Ozone on these - just recommend a well ventilated listening room ?

James
 
James HI, there is no smell of Ozone with the 'Corona' nothing at all, the tweeter' horns' become quite warm, but that is it.
The tweeters switch themselves on after about thirty seconds, they are superb, as good if not better than the TAD 703 tweeters on my Cessaro's. In fact they share many similarities with horns, they don't have any of th e box colouration's of conventional speakers and fill the room with sound as horns do.
Keith.
 
Purite Audio said:
James HI, there is no smell of Ozone with the 'Corona' nothing at all, the tweeter' horns' become quite warm, but that is it.
The tweeters switch themselves on after about thirty seconds, they are superb, as good if not better than the TAD 703 tweeters on my Cessaro's. In fact they share many similarities with horns, they don't have any of th e box colouration's of conventional speakers and fill the room with sound as horns do.
Keith.
Click to expand...

As opposed to 'horn colourations' then? Please remember Keith, I used to have JBL K2 9800's and moved them on precisely because of horn coloration (even if ever-so minimal) in favour of some box speakers (ATC-150ASL Anni's) that have much less colouration.

Best,
Keith.
 
Safety levels for ozone are really tight, so I'm sure Lansche have resolved this issue - I believe they are a German company.

I actually saw these speakers a couple of years ago at the Munich show and asked them about ozone then - hey assured me that this was not an issue.

A plasma tweeter has absolutely no moving parts and essentially has zero mass - pretty much the ideal in many ways.
 
Keith, it might be useful for you to find out from the manufacturers what the rate of ozone emission actually is. Depending on voltage and electrode material it could be really, really low, potentially insignificant if they use a metal that doesn't vapourize at the voltages used. There are some stainless and titianium alloys that don't emit Ozone under these conditions, funnily enough the same ones they use for TIG welding. ;-)
 
Simon Hi, I will check the materials used,but when I have spoken with Lansche they confirmed it as a non issue, listening to the speakers all day yesterday there wasn't a hint of ozone, very beautiful mids and upper registers though.
 
Keith Hi, the 'horns' on the Lansche are only on the tweeter ,not an issue.
Regarding 'horn' loudspeakers I agree poorly made horns can resonate ,personally I would never touch a thin ABS horn, the horns on Cessaro speakers are solid wood ,hugely massive and no colouration's.
Keith.
 
The first pair to arrive are the No.5's these are passive, apart from the plasma tweeter, there is a three inch dome mid range and two eight inch bass units, I know they cross at 2.5khz and 400hz ,but I will have to ask about the crossover., sensitivity is 91db impedance is 4ohms.
They are exceptionally good speakers, sound gorgeous and beautifully made.
BR Keith.
 
Hmm..very sensitive then - are they valve amp friendly?

I've just seen a pic of them with the mid dome - who makes that for them then?
 
They are as sensitive as you! I don't have any valves here to try, but Adrian from Deltec is bringing some of his new DPA amps around next week, and they look perfect.
I shall keep you updated.
BR Keith.
 
They look perfect for me, transparent but not harsh, 60 watts perfect for the Lansche's ,nicely made and not too expensive, I will report!
BR Keith.
 
So, are there any diagrams etc. to show how these plasma tweeters work - how low down do they go?
 
They cross at 2.5khz and they don't produce Ozone, this is the reply from Lansche.
'Our Corona tweeter does not emit ozone due to the following reasons:

1. The temperature in the combustion chamber is kept higher than 350 degrees centigrade.

2. The electrode is surrounded by quartz which acts as a catalytic converter, converting O3 (ozone) to O2 (oxygen).

3. It also does not emit any positive or negative ions. This is due to there being only AC on the electrode and the high temperature.'

VB Keith.
 
I'd question the veracity of #3.

Anywho I remember Fane (remember them?) selling the IonoFane 601 loudspeaker in 1965 based on a copy of the original DuKane IonaVac.

So nothing new there. Also I think that Wireless World gave it a poor review. The idea goes back to the 1800s............. Is nothing new ?

Are these Lansche's using stuff from the original IonaVac?

Cheers,

DV
 
DV Hi, Lansche bought the rights to the 'Corona' tweeter, I can't imagine that they would lie about their product, they are stunnnig loudspeakers though.
vb Keith.
 
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