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Making Sound with Plasma - Hill Plasmatronics Tweeter
At the 2023 AXPONA show in Chicago, I had the opportunity to see and hear the Hill Plasmatronics tweeter. I also had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Alan Hill, the physicist who invented this unique device.
Dr. Alan Hill (center), his son (left), John Siau (right), and Rory Rall (rear)
The plasma driver has no moving parts and no diaphragm. Sound is emitted directly from the thermal expansion and contraction of an electrically sustained plasma. The plasma is generated within a stream of helium gas. In the demonstration, there was a large helium tank on the floor with a sufficient supply for several hours of listening.
I had read about Dr. Alan's plasma tweeter and was thrilled to hear that he would be demonstrating it in public for the first time in forty years. With great excitement, Rory Rall and I headed to the Plasmatronics room at AXPONA 2023. As we approached the room, a faint smell of smoke filled the hallway. This intensified as we entered the room. We could now see what appeared to be two flames burning inside of protective cages at the front of the room. A few moments later we experienced the amazing sound produced by the strange collection of equipment.
This wonderful sound was interrupted when one of the presenters walked to the front of the room and blew out the plasma just as if it were a burning candle. Instantly, the frequencies above 1 kHz were gone and at that moment we realized just how much sound was coming from what looked like a burning candle inside of a bird cage. After adjusting the flow of helium and pressing an igniter button, the sound was restored!
While a tank of helium, tubing, high voltage power supplies, and the smell of smoke may not be appropriate for every living room, this was absolutely the best thing I experienced at the show.
Special thanks to Dr. Hill and the others who made this unique demonstration possible!
- John Siau
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ChatGPT Reviews the AHB2 and Includes Listening Impressions!
What happens when you ask ChatGPT to write a review?
I asked ChatGPT to review the Benchmark AHB2, and I was shocked at the results!
It turns out that ChatGPT wrote a review by gleaning information from the many publicly available reviews of the AHB2. I recognized phases and sequences of words that had appeared in prior reviews, and yet the text was new, original, and well written. The ChatGPT review seemed to summarize the collective impressions of the reviewers without directly quoting any particular reviewer.
It should be possible to ask ChatGPT to write a review on any well-known product and the result will be an AI-generated review that reflects the collective opinions of many human reviewers.
These AI-generated reviews may be more useful than traditional search results!
If I am not mistaken, ChatGPT seems to have golden ears!
Here is my dialog with ChatGPT:
John Siau:
Write a review of the Benchmark AHB2 complete with listening impressions.
ChatGPT:
Title: Unleashing Sonic Purity: A Review of the Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier
Introduction: The Benchmark AHB2 amplifier has gained a reputation for its exceptional audio performance and unwavering dedication to sonic purity. In this review, we delve into the heart of this powerhouse amplifier, exploring its features, design, and most importantly, the listening impressions it evokes...
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ChatGPT is quick to recognize mistakes, and quick to provide detailed corrections. In each of the first few corrections, additional errors were made. As each of these were pointed out, ChatGPT began to provide accurate information.
Here is my conversation with ChatGPT:
John Siau:
How do star-quad cables reject interference?
ChatGPT:
Star-quad cables are designed to provide improved rejection of ...
System Performance Calculations
If an audio system is composed of multiple components, we may have detailed specifications for each component, but we will not know the performance of the combined system without doing some calculations. You may have questions such as these:
- Will my audio system produce audible noise?
- Will my audio system produce audible distortion?
- How will my audio components work together as a system?
- How loud will my audio system play?
Use Benchmark's online audio calculators to find answers!
For example, if we know the output power of an amplifier, as well as the sensitivity and impedance of our loudspeakers, we can calculate the maximum sound pressure level that our system can produce.
This application note provides interactive examples that help to answer the questions listed above.