Wild & exotic speakers

[cravnsn]

We’re all familiar with the idea of using paper, plastic, Kevlar, carbon fiber and various metals to make the speakers we have in our respective homes. There are speakers with ribbon & Mylar drivers, and multiple drivers used to reproduce sound, but here are some wild & exotic drivers you may not even know existed, like wool speakers:



Or a full range driver made from banana plant fiber (and the elaborate enclosures they go in):





Speaking of enclosures, we all know wood makes for a good enclosure, but what of the speaker itself?:



High end warm clear sound created from the grains in the wood cone, cast aluminum frame and rubber surround.

And the wildest (IMO) doesn’t even use a driver with any mass – it uses plasma.



It is really simple. It is a modulated RF power amp with a controlled ionic discharge.
By modulating the oscillator with the audio signal the flame size changed and so the air pressure changed also. You hear the sound directly through the air without modulating a diaphragm.
So there are no moving parts, no distortion and none of the problems other tweeters have. The signal is quite low in level ( I measured 82 dB with my prototypes ) but it is the cleanest sound I ever heard. I use no horns to increase the sound pressure so you don’t have to sit in axis of the tweeter, the sound is everywhere in the air.
You need a lot of RF power to get a ionic flame so I use a tube (valve). I choose a EL519 you can also use a PL519, the PL has only a different heater voltage ( 40 Volt / 300 mA ). The RF power is easily modulated on G2 of the valve. I use a transistor, it was the simplest method for the prototype.

[CasualKiller]

Here's another one for you:



Superb sound stage and a crisp detailed high end, and quite possibly the most delicious margaritas ever.

[allstar780]

this makes me wanna make my own speakers lol

[RUR]

See this thread for previous discussion of exotic speakers, including the uber-MBL's.

[RUR]

Today's exotic:



http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/prod...dspeakers.html

[Big Daddy]

All speakers from AvantGarde Acoustics are exotic.

Duo Mezzo



Trio



Trio Classico



Bass Horn Subwoofer


avantgarde.jpg

[Big Daddy]

The Duevel Planets omni dispersion speakers from Urban Fidelity are beautiful, exotic, sexy, and affordable.

[Halcro 1]

Originally Posted by CasualKiller

Here's another one for you:



Superb sound stage and a crisp detailed high end, and quite possibly the most delicious margaritas ever.

MBL sonic bliss

[Halcro 1]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The Duevel Planets omni dispersion speakers from Urban Fidelity are beautiful, exotic, sexy, and affordable.

Cool what to the Christmas ornaments do???

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Halcro 1

Cool what to the Christmas ornaments do???

Those Christmas ornaments are called spheres. The speakers are only about $1,400 a pair. You can buy them instead of a Christmas tree. Instead of lights, you will hear 360 degree music. This information is from their web site:

The Spheres
"Not only do the chrome spheres get everyone talking, but they also function as precision wave guides designed to disperse sound in a perfect 360 degree pattern. This is called "omni directionality." Omni speakers are a rarity in high performance audio, simply because they are much more difficult to design.

Planet designer Markus Duevel is known world-over as one of the few acoustic designers to have mastered omni-directionality. Markus's legendary computer-modeled wave guides used in his $24,995 speakers form the foundation of the Planets. Once you hear omni speakers, there's no going back."

[Big Daddy]

Rubik's Cube Subwoofer from Elac is another exotic speaker. Do you think it has WAF?

RubikCube Sub.jpg

[JJxiv1215]

Can't afford the Nautilus line? Make it yourself!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Can't afford the Nautilus line? Make it yourself!

Do you honestly expect your wife to accept this? It looks like a chimney or a gigantic bong.

[Big Daddy]

Bolzano Villetri speakers from Italy are exotic. Compared to boring names such as Bose, Polk, Klipsch, Energy, Mirage, Axiom, etc., even the name Bolzano Villetri is exotic and sexy. I love the center channel.

The BV 3005 Torre front speakers are listed for $11,400. The street price is $9,210. The BVHF3003 Piazzetta front speakers are listed for $10,000. The street price is $8,000.

[Driver_King]

I just have to say wow to that.

[Clark Kent]

Someone should start a thread for ugliest speakers. Many of the above speakers are designed more for aesthetic reasons than pure sound quality.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Someone should start a thread for ugliest speakers. Many of the above speakers are designed more for aesthetic reasons than pure sound quality.

That is not necessarily true. I have listned to some of them at high-end electronic shows sponsored by Stereophile Magazine. They sound unbelievably good. I wish I could own all of them. The problem is that some of them will cost more than the price of your house or your car.

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Many of the above speakers are designed more for aesthetic reasons than pure sound quality.

Which ones?

[Big Daddy]

Reference 3.1 speakers from Anthony Gallo Acoustics. Gallo speakers look exotic and sound very good.

[Ratdaddy]

Here's mine.