Radial(Tangerine) versus the regular circumcerential phase plug

[mah]

FWIW.

http://alteclansingunofficial.nlenet...ers/TL_231.pdf

[Old Guy]

My opinion:
The phase plug material is not an issue and makes no difference. A phase plug helps make a smooth transition into the throat of the horn. The original Altec phase plug (circumferential) was designed to work on the horns of the day (multi-cells/311/511/811). The Tangerine phase plug was designed for MR horns.

There is a sonic difference. The difference is not great. The difference is probably no greater than different manufacturing batches of diaphragms. Your listening space will have more effect on the sound of your horns. I simply select matching diaphragms and don't worry about it.

I'm' just thinking a harder material would perform better....maybe insignificant.

A magnetic material is going to affect the field...

BTW are not the 806 plugs aluminum? I don't recall steel, but I haven't been inside one in ten or 15 years..

[bfish]

Of interest are the objectives of the Tangerine design as stated by the inventor (Henricksen) in his patent (abbreviated);

easier/cheaper to produce
improved efficiency/lower distortion
plane wave output

No mention by the inventor of extended response (that came from the marketing dept).

My opinion:
The Tangerine phase plug was designed for MR horns...

The coincident timing of Tangerine and MantaRay developement agrees. I suspect a MantaRay would hardly work as designed if driven by a spherical wave.

sidebar
Henricksen also specified the slit count should be a prime number...

Added
OG, I have an affinity for obsidian too, but mine is because of the relative ease of working (5.5 on the Mohs scale).

[Ronald Lee]

bfish: I wholeheartedly agree. Anyone can make a thing with enough money, but it would be a real stroke of genius to achieve the something by spending the minimum of money.