Podium Sound LTD, what's the secret?

[kach22i]

I picked up a free copy of Stereophile at AK Fest 2008 and see this ad for something which might be similar to the old Ed Meitner and Museatex products in the Melior line of loudspeakers.

Old Melior Link:
http://www.museatex.com/index.html

I could be wrong, the Podium might be vastly different than the Melior. The Melior was a speaker coil glued to a drum like skin of mylar which rippled sound waves. It had an awesome MBL-like 3D sound but lacked some upper end extension and had some odd acoustic surprises up it's sleeve.


Website in Stereophile advert:
http://lauferteknik.com/products_loudspeakers_podium.htm

http://www.podiumsound.co.uk/index.html

Designed by Shelley Katz, Podium loudspeakers are quite literally a world first: a full-range panel loudspeaker system. Using transverse waves induced by a tapered line-array to propagate sound through a floating panel, all of which is designed and built in Cambridge UK. Our designs have no ribbons (even though we love ribbons), no electrostatic devices (even though we love those too), no cone drivers, no sub woofers and no crossover.

The traditional ‘sweet-spot’ and specific volume requirement described as ‘realistic’ by some and ‘rather too loud’ by others are both startlingly absent.

Read past the typo...............
http://www.podiumsound.co.uk/Questions & Answers/general.html#electstat tech

secret and every special flat panel technology

http://www.podiumsound.co.uk/Podium Sound Products/Podium 1/podiumsound1.html

What's the "secret", is it NTX?

NXT
http://www.nxtsound.com/index.php?id=home

I had an idea once (like 17 years ago) that in lieu of using a voice coil like the Melior, I would use a spark plug like zapper. I would have an electrode on one side and a foil disc glued to the mylar, the signal would flow though them back and forth creating the Melior-like ripple without the mass and dampening of the voice coil piston.

Great idea but I'm not going to quit my day job and mortgage the house to get a patent.

 

[cstory]

6 moons has a couple of articles about them.

http://6moons.com/audioreviews/podium/1.html

It seems like it is similar in concept to the NXT panels, but a slightly different execution.

Chuck

 

[C.A.P]

George , Hind site is 20/20 and I'm nearly going blind !

 

[kach22i]

http://6moons.com/audioreviews/podium/1.html

What a hoot, I'm laughing as I'm reading it now.

Interestingly, Shelley's thesis is expected to have a major impact on sleep disorder. Negotiations are under way for a worldwide licence agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to issue small vials that contain the abstract of Shelley's PhD to put children to sleep, a full synopsis to put adults to sleep, and the first chapter for crowd control during prison riots.

Are the drivers on the center spine only?

How many drivers does a typical model employ?

The Melior was a "point source" which vibrated the flexible membrane, this acts as a line source (think ribbon) vibrating a somewhat flexible membrane.