Hybrid Audio Technologies Legatia SE - Manual (Page 12)

Legatia SE User’s Manual ©Hybrid Audio Technologies Page 12 of 73
Attributes
The Legatia SE L1 o R2 is a 58mm (2.3-inch) O.D. “low resonance” wide-bandwidth tweeter driver to
compliment both two-way and three-way system designs, where a super high-end tweeter driver is
required. The Legatia L1 R2 is based upon the original architecture of the Hybrid Audio Technologies
Legatia L1 Pro transducer, as well as the Legatia L1 Pro SE, a special edition version of the L1 Pro.
At the onset of the Legatia Pro-Series program, we wanted to be sure that the Pro-Series tweeter
could be listened to for long listening sessions with no noticeable listener fatigue, and the L1 R2
answered the call. The L1 R2 is an advancement of the original Legatia L1 Pro design, boasting a
ring radiator and diaphragm for exceptional polar response and an even broader frequency response,
and lower resonance frequency than the original L1 Pro.
The Legatia L1 R2 is a 25mm (1-inch) ring radiator-type tweeter, which is the desired diameter for
aplomb performance and class-leading polar response, having an extended linear response and
exceptional transient response. The design offers a wide dispersion pattern to make for flexible on-
and off-axis installation and speaker location. The L1 R2 doesn’t suffer from typical “heaviness” in
tonal quality, typically associated with damped, large-diameter (28mm +) dome tweeters; the L1 R2
can be used for the reproduction of upper midrange and treble frequencies in dedicated multi-way
front-stage systems. The following are the L1 R2’s design attributes:
Diaphragm, Power Handling, and Wave Guide
With respect to the diaphragm, the L1 R2 has a slightly heavier moving mass than the L1 Pro (without
negatively affecting transient response), which in turn has afforded more damping character, while
the resonance has been lowered by 120 Hz over the L1 Pro (580 Hz). Nominal and thermal power
handling has also been improved over the original L1 Pro transducer; the L1 R2 tweeter has a very
high power handling with proper filtering, and the L1 R2 diaphragm is much less susceptible to
mechanical deformation than other designs, and yet yields a smooth response over the extent of its
range. The diaphragm is protected by a large open-space perforated metal grille that can be
removed, if desired.
The L1 R2 has several unique features that ensure performance is superior to all other designs in this
category. The ring radiator geometry is notorious for delivering a flat, extended response, but many
radiator designs have suffered historically from poor off-axis response. The main L1 R2 criteria was
to have a ring radiator that could work exceptionally well in a car environment, with an end-user’s
choice of either on- or off-axis operation with good polar response. The geometry of the wave guide
was paramount to achieving this result and was the subject of a concerted effort by Hybrid Audio
Technologies engineers. The wave guide is proprietary to Hybrid Audio Technologies and prevents
phase cancellation for uniform frequency response and uniform polar radiation. The addition of the
wave guide is also an improvement over a conventional dome tweeter design simply for the fact that
the diaphragm is terminated not only at its edges, but also at the center of the diaphragm as well.
This feature improves the damping of modal distortion and resonance. In concert with the wave
guide is a treated fine cloth diaphragm to ensure smooth frequency response.
Tuned Chamber and Motor
The tuned chamber of the L1 R2 is the key to the ability of the driver to faithfully reproduce low-octave
tones with low distortion, should the end-user desire this type of topology. The L1 R2 has a
polypropylene tuned and damped chamber at the rear of the motor assembly; the chamber helps to