How a Planar Magnetic Diaphragm Headphone Driver Works
In the past, dynamic drivers had a voice coil attached at the center of a conical dialephragm. When an electrical signal is passed through the voice coil, it causes the diaphragm to move.
The force is only applied to a tiny portion of the diaphragm, so it's difficult to move several points at the same time. This can cause distortions due to breakup modes.
Audio with a Detailed Sound
Many audiophiles would like to hear clear and precise sound through their headphones. This can be achieved by using a planar diaphragm. This type of headphone works in a similar way to dynamic cone drivers but with much more modern technology.
A planar diaphragm is a flat structure embedded in the frame of a headphone and made of a thin light material. It's designed to be as flat and uniform as possible. This ensures an even pressure distribution across the entire surface.
The flat design provides a greater soundstage. A more focused wavefront can result in better sound staging, which can help you locate the exact location of an instrument or vocal on the track. This is a major benefit over the more spherical waves that are typical of dynamic drivers.
A planar diaphragm differs from traditional dynamic drivers that utilize a voice coil that is attached to the cone's center made of paper or plastic. Instead, it employs series magnets that are placed on either side of its flat surface. The electrical current passing through the voice coil interacts with these magnets, causing the diaphragm to vibrate and produce sound. The entire diaphragm can be driven simultaneously. This eliminates breakup modes mechanical filters, transmission delays, and local resonances, which can have a negative effect on the sound quality.
A diaphragm that is flat and uniform can also be accelerated more quickly than the larger and heavier ones used in dynamic drivers. According to the laws of physics force is proportional to mass and acceleration. This means that the more quickly a driver's diaphragm moves and the greater power they can exert. This gives planar magnet drivers better response to bass and better detail retrieval.
Of course, the benefits of the planar magnetic driver do not come without cost. They cost more than dynamic drivers since they feature a huge diaphragm and a complex motor. They also require a stronger amplifier to function efficiently. Many manufacturers of planar magnetic headphones benefit from their technology and create premium headphones at competitive prices. Some examples include the Audeze LCD-4 and HiFiMAN Susvara.
High Sensitivity
The planar driver is different from moving coil drivers, used in most headphones and IEMs, by using a flat diaphragm instead of a traditional dome-shaped or cone-shaped membrane. As an electrical signal passes it, it interacts with the magnets and the diaphragm to create sound waves. The flat nature of the diaphragm permits it to react quickly to sound and is capable of generating a wide range of frequencies, from lows to highs.
Planar magnetic headphones are more sensitive than other headphone drivers that make use of diaphragms several time larger than a standard planar design. This lets you hear all the details in your music.
Planar magnetic drivers also create an extremely constant driving force across the diaphragm. This prevents breakup and creates a smooth, distortion-free sound. This is particularly important for high-frequency sounds, where breakup can be audible and distracting. In the FT5 this is accomplished through the use of a sophisticated material called polyimide. It is both ultra-light and extremely robust, as well as a specialized conductor pattern that eliminates inductance associated intermodulation distortion.
The OPPO's planar magnetic driver also have a higher degree of phase coherence, which means that when a wavefront enters our ear canal, it's a perfectly flat and unaltered shape. Dynamic drivers feature a spherical wavefront that disrupts the coherence of the signal and result in less-than-perfect reconstructions the highest frequencies, particularly at higher frequency. This is another reason for why the OPPO headphones sound so authentic and natural, as well as incredibly accurate.
Wide Frequency Response
A planar magnetic diaphragm is able to reproduce sounds with much higher frequencies than traditional dynamic drivers due to their diaphragms are thin and lightweight. moves in a very controlled manner. This allows them to offer an excellent transient response. This makes them a perfect choice for audiophiles that require quick responses from their speakers and headphones to reproduce the finest details in music.
The flat design gives them an even soundstage than headphones that use coiled dynamic driver. They are also less susceptible to leakage, which is the sound that escapes from the headphones and into the environment. In certain situations this is a concern because it can distract listeners and alter their concentration while listening to music. In other situations, however, it can be beneficial since it allows listeners to enjoy music in public areas without having to worry about disturbing others nearby.
Instead of using a coil behind a cone-shaped diaphragm planar magnetic headphones have conductors arranged on the extremely thin diaphragm itself. The conductor is hung between two magnets. When an electrical signal is applied to it, it transforms into electromagnetic energy and makes the magnetic forces on each side of the diaphragm to interact with each other. This is what makes the diaphragm vibrate, creating the sound wave.
The uniform motion of the diaphragm that is light and the fact that force is evenly distributed over its surface, means that distortion is extremely low. This is a significant improvement over traditional dynamic drivers which are known to cause distortion at high levels of listening.
right here -end headphones employ the old-school moving coil design. However, most HiFi audiophiles are now adopting this long-forgotten technology to create new generation of planar magnetic headphones that sound incredible. Certain models require a high-end amp to provide power. However, for those who are able to afford it, they provide an experience that is unlike any other headphones. They offer a rich and detailed sound that is free of the distortion that is common in other headphone types.
Minimal Inertia
Due to their construction, planar magnetic diaphragms are extremely light and can move much more quickly than traditional drivers. This means that they reproduce audio signals more accurately and can be tuned to more frequencies. They also provide a natural sound with less distortion than traditional loudspeakers.
The dual rows of magnets inside a planar driver produce equal and uniform magnetic forces across the entire surface of the diaphragm. This reduces unnecessary and unwanted distortion. The diaphragm's weight can be more easily controlled since the force is evenly dispersed. This permits the diaphragm to vibrate in a perfectly pistonic motion, resulting in precise and smooth reproduction of music.
They also have the capability of achieving extremely high levels of performance with minimal weight. This makes them perfect for portable headphone. Additionally, they can be made to provide a wide range of frequencies, from deep bass to high-frequency sounds. Audio professionals love them due to their wide frequency response and clear sound.
Planar magnetic drivers differ from dynamic drivers that utilize coils to push the diaphragm. They don't contain any mechanical parts which can cause distortion. This is due to the fact that the conductors' flat array sits directly on the diaphragm, instead of within a coil behind it.
A planar magnetic driver, in contrast it can drive a small and light diaphragm by applying a tremendous magnetic force with no loss of energy. As a result, the diaphragm is driven by an even pressure, preventing it from deforming and producing distortion.
The moment of inertia describes the resistance to rotation of an object. It is calculated using the formula I = mr2. The shape of an object influences its moment of inertia minimum. Longer and smaller objects have lower moments of inertia.