FYNE SuperTrax

Yes, absolutely. Studies such as those by James Boyk show that many musical instruments, particularly percussion instruments such as cymbals and triangles, produce significant amounts of energy well beyond 20 kHz. In fact, these instruments can even contain frequencies up to 100 kHz or more. Overtones of other instruments such as violins and oboes also extend beyond 40 kHz. These frequencies contribute significantly to the character and timbre of the instruments.

Yes, there is evidence for this. Oohashi's research has shown that our brains respond to these ultrasonic components in music, even if we don't "hear" them in the traditional sense. They have been found to affect brain activity. In addition, Lenhardt has found that even deaf people can perceive ultrasound to distinguish between speech and sound via bone conduction. This suggests that these frequencies also enter our perception via mechanisms other than normal hearing.

A super tweeter not only affects the highest frequencies, but also improves the sound quality across the entire frequency range. A crucial aspect is the reduction of phase errors. Similar to how a subwoofer reduces phase error in the low frequency range, a super tweeter shifts the low-pass cutoff frequency upwards, reducing phase errors in the higher frequencies. This improves the accuracy and ratio of fundamental frequencies and overtones in the music, even in lower frequencies. This in turn improves the overall sound image.

Although high-resolution audio, such as high-res files, vinyl and tapes, particularly benefit from the extended bandwidth of a super tweeter, there are also benefits with lower bandwidth material such as CDs (Red Book standard). Even with limited bandwidth, the super tweeter helps reduce phase errors and improves transient response, which in turn has a positive effect on the tonal accuracy of all frequencies.

An omnidirectional super tweeter radiates sound evenly in all directions, not just directly to the listener. This ensures that the reflections in the room, which make up a large part of the perceived sound, have the same harmonic structure as the direct sound. This leads to improved spatial imaging and a more authentic sound impression. Conventional, direct-radiating super tweeters often have very limited radiation and "bundle" the signal.

Time alignment of the super tweeter is important to ensure that the sound waves from the super tweeter arrive at the same time as those from the main driver. This minimizes phase errors and helps to accurately preserve the harmonic relationships of the music. In the FYNE Audio IsoFlare speaker, this is achieved by positioning the super tweeter correctly recessed on the cabinet, making its acoustic source coincident with the main driver.

TPCD diaphragms are made from ultra-thin carbon ribbons, as opposed to traditional thick, round yarns. The result is a material that is stiffer, lighter and more conformable to the demands of a tweeter. These diaphragms allow for controlled "break-up" behavior with low distortion, a more linear frequency response and a higher resonant frequency, resulting in extended and more detailed reproduction as there are fewer unwanted resonances.

FYNE Audio's IsoFlare driver is a point source system where the woofer/midrange driver and tweeter share a common time-aligned center point. This provides excellent stereo imaging, even off-axis. IsoFlare technology preserves the harmonic content of instruments much better than traditional speaker systems that use separate drivers. The addition of the SuperTrax super tweeter, which is also time-aligned and omnidirectional, further optimizes the performance of the IsoFlare driver and provides an even more precise sound image. The IsoFlare driver remains the main responsible for reproducing the majority of the musical information.