The Plasma Tweeter

[Mr Kipling]

I remember reading an article about this type of tweeter by Keith Howard in Hi Fi Answers years ago. I'd totally forgot about it however until I came across a listing on eBay for an inductor for a diy design.

I just wondered if anyone had any experience of it.

[Barry]

I remember reading an article about this type of tweeter by Keith Howard in Hi Fi Answers years ago. I'd totally forgot about it however until I came across a listing on eBay for an inductor for a diy design.

I just wondered if anyone had any experience of it.

Many years ago Fane made the Ionfane plasma tweeter, and Bowers & Wilkins used one (though I'm not sure if it was made for them by Fane) in their P1 speaker.

https://worthopedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumbnails2/360/1211/18/360_586b653a1b2fd298237c9b76e422306b.jpg
Fane Ionfane tweeter

In having virtually no mass, plasma tweeters had virtually instant response and hence an attack and transient performance that not even electrostatic designs could achieve.

Sadly the down side to this was the generation of poisonous ozone, so I would imagine that such designs are discouraged, if not outlawed, by today's Health & Safety regulations.

[YNWaN]

Lansche Audio make plasma tweeters still:

http://www.lansche-audio.de

[Mr Kipling]

Thanks for the link.

The German diy site I found mentions the ozone production, but states that it is very small and suggests opening a window. It also mentions the efficiency is on the low side at about 82 dB.

[YNWaN]

The Lansche tweeters are entirely encased so there is no ozone produced - or at least none is allowed to escape. Ozone is classed as being extremely toxic so the solution of opening a window isn't a viable suggestion for actual manufacturers.

[purite audio]

The LANSCHE implementation was good, no ozone and a great sounding treble, can't say it was better than the TAD703 though,and they need to be regularly serviced.
Theire is a review in Stereophile.
Keith.