Planar Speaker Asylum

Posted by nile49 (A ) on November 13, 2017 at 11:13:10

In Reply to: Razor your mags posted by Dawnrazor on June 3, 2010 at 00:52:46:

Though I haven't researched extensively, I don't think I have seen any feedback on the razor mod for the 1.7i. I just wanted to let people know that I have used Dynamat Extreme to great effect on the aluminum pole pieces (I have not done the rope caulk around the front of the frame(the "half razor")).
I have been impressed with these speakers since I bought them, finding them to be competent all-rounders. I had been dealing with the persistent perception of noise in the system however. To combat this I first purchased Mye sound stands, which helped to reduce an overall softness of the sound and images. After the stands I replaced my front wall (behind the speakers) diffuser and replaced it with a large broadband absorber. Doing so brought a large increase in clarity, as well as significantly improved tonality and soundstaging. These two steps were very helpful but in the end I think they served to highlight the self noise from the panel. This led me to the razor mod which I had known about and considered since shortly after I purchased the speakers approximately 18 months ago. I decided to move forward with the mod and found some Dynamat Extreme available locally from a car stereo retailer (Mach 1 in Roseville,MN). I then took apart the panels which was quite simple: Pry off the trim pieces, remove the staples from the bottom of the panel, remove the cable terminal panel, and pull back the sock. Cuttting and applying the Dynamat was quite tedious but straightforward. I did this while watching Netflix and YouTube videos and probably had 7-8 hours into the mod (but I am a bit of a putz).

The effects of the mods include a much more refined presentation, removal of a significant amount of noise riding along with the music, especially apparent with loud, complex music but also on subtle decays. The ability of the panel to start and stop notes seems greatly improved. My biggest concern with doing the mod was the possibility of a resulting "dead" overdamped sound. While there is an apparent but slight loss of energy, particularly in the high frequencies which can make the resulting sound slightly less "open", I have no nagging feeling that I'm missing anything. In fact I find the sound much easier to listen to over long periods.

*It should be noted that a degree of sloppiness in my cutting and placing the very thin strips for the tweeter section almost surely contributed to an unnecessary and unwanted additional damping of the high frequencies as some vent holes were covered in the process.

In all, I just wanted to pass along my opinion that this mod is still very much relevant to newer models and is a significant upgrade as well. Thanks for providing the idea as well as the tutorial, Warren

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