Aperion Audio Super Tweeter Speakers

[olds1959special]

Planar-Magnetic Ribbon Super Tweeter - Aperion Audio

Explore the Planar-Magnetic Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker and elevate your high-frequency audio experience. Shop now for superior sound quality and design!

www.aperionaudio.com

I'm thinking of adding these to my system which doesn't seem to have any high frequencies beyond 16 kHz. I thought I'd ask about these before purchasing!

 

[hex168]

Don't start there! By adding a super tweeter, you are essentially taking on a speaker design task, it is not just plug-and-play. Some issues to contend with:
1) Drivers more than 1/4 wavelength apart interfere with each other, more so as they get further apart. Phase differences can increase the problem. 1/4 wavelength at 10,000 Hertz is about 1/3 of an inch, so you will have that problem.
2) Diffraction from cabinet edges and surfaces have large effects at high frequencies. If you do not model or measure them, at multiple angles, you will have additional errors.
3) Test your hearing. Can you hear 16K at all? If you are over 30, probably not.
4) Since the concept is problematic at several levels, if you want to experiment, try a cheaper tweeter first and see if it is better, worse, or imperceptible. Have someone help you with a blind test so your expectations do not effect the result.

You could try a couple of these:

Dayton Audio ND16FA-6 5/8" Soft Dome Neodymium Tweeter

Dayton Audio ND16FA-6 5/8" Soft Dome Neodymium TweeterDon't let the low price fool you! This versatile tweeter is a huge step above the average "budget" tweeter. Conceived with line array thoughts in mind, it is finally possible to achieve the inter-driver spacing needed to minimize comb...

www.parts-express.com

with a 1.5uF capacitor in series as a start. Try some double-sided carpet tape to stick it as close as possible to your existing tweeter. If it is too loud, add an L-pad or a resistor.

If you let us know what your speakers are, we could help more. If this is for the Dynaudio speakers in your signature, they should have no problem reaching higher than 16K on their own, and certainly would if EQ'd. Using EQ would avoid all the problems I mentioned with adding a supertweeter.

 

[JustJones]

Looks like you have Dynaudio BM5A Mk2 and JBL 890's? The Dynaudio are active which goes to 24kHz. The JBLs already have a super tweeter up to 40kHz so I assume it's neither of those you show in your signature? You can hear that high?

 

[olds1959special]

Looks like you have Dynaudio BM5A Mk2 and JBL 890's? The Dynaudio are active which goes to 24kHz. The JBLs already have a super tweeter up to 40kHz so I assume it's neither of those you show in your signature? You can hear that high?

Although the Dyanudio are supposed to go to 24kHz they seem to roll off at 16kHz, at least according to my measurement. I don’t need these for my JBL’s. I think I can hear up to about 16 kHz but I believe in the effects of super high frequencies having an impact on our body/mind/ears. So I ordered these since I can return them if they don’t have any noticeable benefit. I have Aiyima A70 mono amps with LM4562 opamps that I plan to use. I’m planning to split the output of the KRK S10 V2 subwoofer to send to the amps for the super tweeters since I can go balanced that way.

In the mean time, since I’m using a miniDSP I can try to use an EQ to boost the super high frequencies as was previously recommended, which I might try tonight.

 

[olds1959special]

Don't start there! By adding a super tweeter, you are essentially taking on a speaker design task, it is not just plug-and-play. Some issues to contend with:
1) Drivers more than 1/4 wavelength apart interfere with each other, more so as they get further apart. Phase differences can increase the problem. 1/4 wavelength at 10,000 Hertz is about 1/3 of an inch, so you will have that problem.
2) Diffraction from cabinet edges and surfaces have large effects at high frequencies. If you do not model or measure them, at multiple angles, you will have additional errors.
3) Test your hearing. Can you hear 16K at all? If you are over 30, probably not.
4) Since the concept is problematic at several levels, if you want to experiment, try a cheaper tweeter first and see if it is better, worse, or imperceptible. Have someone help you with a blind test so your expectations do not effect the result.

You could try a couple of these:

Dayton Audio ND16FA-6 5/8" Soft Dome Neodymium Tweeter

Dayton Audio ND16FA-6 5/8" Soft Dome Neodymium TweeterDon't let the low price fool you! This versatile tweeter is a huge step above the average "budget" tweeter. Conceived with line array thoughts in mind, it is finally possible to achieve the inter-driver spacing needed to minimize comb...

www.parts-express.com

with a 1.5uF capacitor in series as a start. Try some double-sided carpet tape to stick it as close as possible to your existing tweeter. If it is too loud, add an L-pad or a resistor.

If you let us know what your speakers are, we could help more. If this is for the Dynaudio speakers in your signature, they should have no problem reaching higher than 16K on their own, and certainly would if EQ'd. Using EQ would avoid all the problems I mentioned with adding a supertweeter.

I just tried boosting at 16 kKz and up as much as possible and I can hear an improvement! Well the boost starts before 16 kHz so no wonder I can hear it. Attached is my EQ settings. I cancelled my order for the super tweeters! I'm curious about the measurements now. Thanks.

 

[hex168]

I'm glad that worked for you. Try different program material to be sure you prefer it and are not just temporarily enjoying a difference. Also, a caution: 16 dB of boost may in some circumstances clip your amp and fry a tweeter. That's about 40 times the power at 20Khz compared to no EQ! Fortunately, there is not much up there. Could be even more than 16 dB if your EQ continues sloping up past 20KHz. Can you do a shelf EQ rather than a constant slope?

 

[JustJones]

I use a shelf on the high end. -3db starting at 12kHz. I guess if you can hear 16kHz you could try the opposite +3db starting 12kHz. Glad to see young people in their 20's still interested. I would hope the active Dynaudio's have protection to keep from frying anything. Good luck.

 

[olds1959special]

I tried measuring with both the 0 and 90 degree cal files and realized I need a less drastic EQ curve starting at a lower frequency. I'm aiming for a gentle boost that brings the upper frequencies more in line with the lower ones. I don't want to fry anything (including my ears,) so I'm using this for now. I'll share my measurements once I've spent more time making sure I like this! I noticed that there's not much going on beyond 21 kHz.