A collaboration between two leading
companies in their respective fields, Element Six and Bowers & Wilkins (B&W),
has resulted in the use of diamond as the material of choice for the latest
generation of speaker systems. The new 800 Series by B&W uses tweeter domes
made of CVD diamond. The unique physical properties of diamond help to create a
loudspeaker range having unprecedented technical specifications.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) is a new method of diamond synthesis that can
be compared to frost forming on a window - only the process uses carbon rather
than water. A mixture of gases is heated to very high temperatures to produce
carbon atoms in the form of a plasma. Out of the gases the diamond crystals can
grow on complex, 3D shapes - such as tweeter domes
Dr Gary Geaves, Head of Research at B&W said, "A theoretically perfect tweeter
dome - with infinite stiffness and zero mass - would remain rigid throughout
the audible frequency scale and well beyond it. The material that gets closest
to this ideal behaviour is diamond."
Element Six's MD, Christian Hultner, added, "This tweeter is an exciting global
launch of a consumer product that should have widespread appeal. We believe
that this product will stimulate awareness of diamond as a new engineering
material and we are committed to making this the first of many new consumer
products."
All loudspeakers in the 800 Series, having the suffix D to denote diamond, will
carry the Diamond at Work logo to demonstrate the use of diamond as a
performance-enhancing ingredient.
About the Collaborators
Element Six is the world leader in the production of all forms of synthetic
diamond for industrial use. Element Six has pioneered the development of CVD
diamond technology since the 1980s, with a world-renowned research centre at
Ascot dedicated to this activity. CVD diamond opens up many new application
areas outside the traditional abrasive uses of synthetic diamond. Uses of CVD
diamond include laser exit windows, cutting tools, surgical blades, windows for
high-power gyrotrons, heat-spreaders for electronic devices as well as active
electronic devices.
Bowers & Wilkins, based in Worthing, UK, is an audio brand of global stature,
which over the past five years has sold products to well over 1 million
listeners. The company dominates the audiophile-level market, selling around
50% of the world's high-end loudspeakers. More information on
www.bwspeakers.com.
The Diamond at Work initiative is an independent trademark for all products
containing industrial diamond. More information on www.diamondatwork.com.
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