Tannoy Ellipse 10 Passive Information Sheet - page 5
WHY YOU NEED EXTENDED HIGH FREQUENCY BANDWIDTH
IN TODAY’S DIGITAL RECORDING ENVIRONMENT
For years, sound recording engineers, broadcasters and producers have successfully relied on the Tannoy Dual
Concentric™, with its single point sound source providing the most accurate, natural sound for monitoring –
reproducing instruments and voices far better than conventional monitor designs.
So, why have we introduced a new monitor with a Dual Concentric™ and a SuperTweeter™?
The Dual Concentric™ covers most of the audible band – its flat frequency response from a single point source
is essential in maintaining accurate phase for the generation of stereo and surround audio images. Wideband
Technology has enabled us to add a sophisticated, very high frequency driver (the SuperTweeter™), time-aligned
to the acoustic centre of the Dual Concentric™, which accurately reproduces frequencies above the roll-off point
of the Dual Concentric™ HF unit and all the way up to 50kHz.
What’s the point of that when the upper limit of most human hearing is just 20kHz?
Well, it has been proven that all types of instruments generate considerable energy above 20kHz – and with some
instruments, such as the trumpet (see fig 1), the level doesn’t drop into the noise floor until 100kHz. These
ultrasonic additions to the fundamental frequency are what give instruments, including voices, their individual
character. We can’t ‘hear’ them in the normal sense of the word, but research has shown that we do detect and
respond to them in our perception of sound.
And the effect of this ultrasonic information extends throughout the audible frequency range - even bass notes
have leading edge transients reaching 30kHz.
In addition, the SuperTweeter™ reduces the high frequency phase error by moving the low pass roll-off point
much higher, typically -6dB at 54kHz, -18dB at 100kHz (see Fig 2). So, even if we ignore for now the perception
of sound above 20kHz, the addition of the SuperTweeter™ gives a more realistic soundstage by improving imaging
and placement of instruments.
With 96kHz and 192kHz digital recording systems rapidly becoming the norm in today’s recording environment,
you need to be sure that your recordings are faithfully reproducing the original sound. Tannoy Wideband
Technology monitors help ensure that whatever you record will sound as good when played back on the new
generation of wideband commercial and home audio systems.
FIG. 1
FIG. 2