Magnepan
Encyclopedia
Magnepan is a private high end audio loudspeaker
manufacturer in White Bear Lake
, Minnesota
, USA. Their loudspeaker technology was conceived and implemented by engineer Jim Winey in 1969.
Magnepan's speaker design, sold under the brand name Magneplanar, differs from that of conventional speakers in relying not on cones mounted in an enclosure but on a planar driver system mounted in a panel. A Magneplanar's reproducing mechanism comprises thin conductive wires and or foil strips attached to a thin sheet of Mylar residing in a magnetic field created by a vertical array of permanent strip magnet
s. When an amplified signal is applied to the conductors, the resultant electrical forces react with the magnetic field to excite the Mylar film sheet, which projects sound as a dipole
. In principle, this approach relies on the same concept as a voice coil-driven cone speaker, but in a Magneplanar speaker the "voice coils" are attached (glued) directly to the radiating surface.
The more expensive Magneplanar models also come with a full length, vertically oriented ribbon tweeter
that is said to improve high end extension and resolution.
Sound is projected from both the front and back of the radiating surface. The sound from the back of the speaker is reflected from the front wall of the listening area. This is said to effectively enhance the soundstage - the sense of space and realism - of the speaker. The Magneplanar design, using a passive magnet array, is not a unique loudspeaker implementation, although it was the first of its type. [Eminent Technology], Analysis Audio, and others also employ passive magnet designs. Broadly, these are classed as planar-magnetic speakers.
The most frequently cited disadvantages of the overall design are relatively low efficiency and, given the absence of an enclosure, difficulty in reproducing very low bass frequencies. Some owners use their Magneplanar speakers in conjunction with subwoofer
s.
There are other similar speaker designs.
Martin-Logan
and Quad Electroacoustics
, among others, make electrostatic loudspeakers, which are another variation on the dipole model. Electrostatic speakers operate on a somewhat different principle. While the voice coils in the Magneplanar are conductive wires or foil strips mounted on a sheet of Mylar film, electrostatic speakers suspend a charged conductive film between two grids (stators) which move the film. One disadvantage of both designs is that a very large panel is required to produce deep bass. Magnepan has addressed this via the physical size of the speakers - a physically large radiating surface produces more bass. Martin-Logan has addressed the bass problem by mounting a conventional cone bass driver in a separate section of the speaker chassis, generally resulting in a physically smaller speaker than the Magneplanar.
Up-to-date information on Magneplanar speakers can be found on the manufacturer's web site at www.magnepan.com.
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
manufacturer in White Bear Lake
White Bear Lake
White Bear Lake is the name of a city and two townships in Minnesota* White Bear Lake, Minnesota is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota;* White Bear Township, Minnesota is located in Ramsey County, Minnesota....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA. Their loudspeaker technology was conceived and implemented by engineer Jim Winey in 1969.
Magnepan's speaker design, sold under the brand name Magneplanar, differs from that of conventional speakers in relying not on cones mounted in an enclosure but on a planar driver system mounted in a panel. A Magneplanar's reproducing mechanism comprises thin conductive wires and or foil strips attached to a thin sheet of Mylar residing in a magnetic field created by a vertical array of permanent strip magnet
Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...
s. When an amplified signal is applied to the conductors, the resultant electrical forces react with the magnetic field to excite the Mylar film sheet, which projects sound as a dipole
Dipole
In physics, there are several kinds of dipoles:*An electric dipole is a separation of positive and negative charges. The simplest example of this is a pair of electric charges of equal magnitude but opposite sign, separated by some distance. A permanent electric dipole is called an electret.*A...
. In principle, this approach relies on the same concept as a voice coil-driven cone speaker, but in a Magneplanar speaker the "voice coils" are attached (glued) directly to the radiating surface.
The more expensive Magneplanar models also come with a full length, vertically oriented ribbon tweeter
Tweeter
A tweeter is a loudspeaker designed to produce high audio frequencies, typically from around 2,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz . Some tweeters can manage response up to 65 kHz...
that is said to improve high end extension and resolution.
Sound is projected from both the front and back of the radiating surface. The sound from the back of the speaker is reflected from the front wall of the listening area. This is said to effectively enhance the soundstage - the sense of space and realism - of the speaker. The Magneplanar design, using a passive magnet array, is not a unique loudspeaker implementation, although it was the first of its type. [Eminent Technology], Analysis Audio, and others also employ passive magnet designs. Broadly, these are classed as planar-magnetic speakers.
The most frequently cited disadvantages of the overall design are relatively low efficiency and, given the absence of an enclosure, difficulty in reproducing very low bass frequencies. Some owners use their Magneplanar speakers in conjunction with subwoofer
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
s.
There are other similar speaker designs.
Martin-Logan
Martin-Logan
MartinLogan is an American company producing a variety of floor-standing hybrid, wall-mounted, and in-wall speakers using electrostatic loudspeaker and planar magnetic thin film loudspeaker technology, as well as conventional subwoofers.- Origins :...
and Quad Electroacoustics
Quad Electroacoustics
Quad Electroacoustics is a British manufacturer of hi-fi equipment, based in Huntingdon, England.- Corporate history :The company was founded by Peter J. Walker in 1936 in London, and was initially called S.P. Fidelity Sound Systems. In 1936 the name was changed to the Acoustical Manufacturing Co....
, among others, make electrostatic loudspeakers, which are another variation on the dipole model. Electrostatic speakers operate on a somewhat different principle. While the voice coils in the Magneplanar are conductive wires or foil strips mounted on a sheet of Mylar film, electrostatic speakers suspend a charged conductive film between two grids (stators) which move the film. One disadvantage of both designs is that a very large panel is required to produce deep bass. Magnepan has addressed this via the physical size of the speakers - a physically large radiating surface produces more bass. Martin-Logan has addressed the bass problem by mounting a conventional cone bass driver in a separate section of the speaker chassis, generally resulting in a physically smaller speaker than the Magneplanar.
Up-to-date information on Magneplanar speakers can be found on the manufacturer's web site at www.magnepan.com.
Interviews
- Jim Winey: Maggie's Man in Stereophile, January 2003