Q: What is a "diffuser" and why is it important ?
In all other dipole speakers, the back wave from the dipole would strike the back wall
of the listening room and bounce back to the ear a fraction of a second later, blurring
the image. Because of this strong reflected image, other dipole speakers must either
be pulled well into the room away from the back wall and/or have extensive acoustic
treatment of the back wall to eliminate the single strong reflected image. When this
is done, the reflected sound gives a pleasing sense of ambiance and realism to
recordings. In the Davidson Panga, the tube from the transmission line lies in the
direct pathway of the back wave from the ribbon. This diffuser brakes the single back
wave from the ribbon into multiple waves, serving the same purpose as extensive
treatment of the back wall. Because of this innovative design, the owner of the
Panga has greater flexibility in placing the speaker in a typical listening room.
"We don't know what the tiger sounded like,
but that Panga suggests
it must have sounded great."
- Dr. Bambamba
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