Incoming: Lansche 4.2 with the Corona Plasma Tweeter

[Kuoppis]

The Lansche 4.2’s just recently arrived in my listening space. Fantastic speaker, I must say.


This is indeed an unusual choice for me, as I have been a long time and very happy Magico owner. But recently the horn-loaded speaker fascination caught my ears.

The most special feature of this transducer is its Corona Ion-Tweeter, which I have long time been a fan of. It was originally invented by German engineer Otto Braun in the 70’s, who manufactured it for a couple years under Corona Acoustic brand, before selling the concept to Lansche after a few years.


https://www.lansche-audio.com/products/plasmatweeter/

The technology has since been refined and further developed by Lasche, eliminating some early constraints. A major re-work was introduced in 2014, and the latest revision was done in 2019. I was initially concerned about the possible servicing need, but with my level of use the service interval of 4-5K hours will be reached only after 5-7 years.

What makes the speaker particularly suitable for my situation, is them being uncritical in positioning. As the 4.2 is a closed design, they are easier to place is small to mid-sized rooms. The bass can be dialed-in very nicely through the active subwoofer design with bass level, cut-off frequency, and blend-in controls.


The two 10” Seas aluminum woofers powered by 1200W class D amplification will deliver adequate low frequency supply for any type of music. And the low-end range reaching down to 15 Hz will be sufficient for any bass head.

The mids are handled by an 8” in-house coated paper driver. Lansche explained to me on the weekend, that while aluminum is very good for bass due to its rigidity and fast response, its resonance swing-out is longer compared to the coated paper driver. The latter stops on a dime, and is therefore best suited for the particularly time-sensitive midrange.


The Corona Plasma tweeter has mo membrane and consists of an 8 mm arc of light, and is therefore about 100.000 x lighter than a regular tweeter. This allows ultra-fast response and a whopping frequency range of 1.5 kHz - 150 kHz. This is three times the range of the Magico diamond coated tweeter. Of course the human ear cannot hear such frequencies, but this is what allows the Corona to produce such a detailed, yet never sharp, and nicely floating ethereal top end. Way overused, but I do hear a lots of details which were not there before. Very special, if you get a chance to listen to it.


Also the tweeter can be dialed in to individual preferences and room acoustics.


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[u-sound]

wow, verry cool!!
can you say more?

[Kuoppis]

wow, verry cool!!
can you say more?

I pondered a while before jumping, as this speaker is so special it might be hard to sell, should I ever want.

But it just delivered a major upgrade to my system.


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[kiwi_1282001]

Very interesting and would like to read more.

Is this a trial or have you purchased the speakers?

The speakers appear - at least from the photo - to be located quite close to your amp and conditioner (I think). Are the side firing woofers a concern at that proximity?

[Kuoppis]

Very interesting and would like to read more.

Is this a trial or have you purchased the speakers?

The speakers appear - at least from the photo - to be located quite close to your amp and conditioner (I think). Are the side firing woofers a concern at that proximity?

The woofers are firing to both sides, therefore I did not mind in a first step. But this might not be the final placement.


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[kiwi_1282001]

The woofers are firing to both sides, therefore I did not mind in a first step. But this might not be the final placement.


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Noted. I am interested to read more on your thoughts about this speaker and in particular the no-mass Ion tweeter.

[Kuoppis]

Noted. I am interested to read more on your thoughts about this speaker and in particular the no-mass Ion tweeter.

There is a link in my earlier posting about the tweeter tech. Quite an interesting concept.

Of course I had heard it many times in various demos. But having it in my own system now, and with the comparisons I have done, I would argue it is nothing short of remarkable.


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[Kuoppis]

In the live experience it’s just a faint glow, so it is hardly noticeable during day-time. But I nevertheless like the Lansche blue eye during evening sessions.



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[MikeCh]

Very nice Kuoppis! Congratulations on the new loudspeakers, they look really fine!

Is that correct that the plasma tweeter can extend to 1500 Hz as its bottom range? For a single, essentially weightless "driver" to cover mid range to that value and also be able to cover well into the ether at its top end has got to be quite an experience indeed.

Looking forward to your thoughts as you begin to live with them.

Cheers

[Kuoppis]

Very nice Kuoppis! Congratulations on the new loudspeakers, they look really fine!

Is that correct that the plasma tweeter can extend to 1500 Hz as its bottom range? For a single, essentially weightless "driver" to cover mid range to that value and also be able to cover well into the ether at its top end has got to be quite an experience indeed.

Looking forward to your thoughts as you begin to live with them.

Cheers

Hi Mike, that is at least what the specs say.

Specification plasma tweeter:

Impedance (nominal) 6.4 Ω (minimum 5.6 Ω)
Sensitivity 98 dB / 1 W / 1 m
Frequency range 1500 Hz - 150 kHz ±3dB
Dimension 16 x 16 x 30 cm
Weight 2 kg

I’ll keep you posted about my thoughts, and how they evolve. But so far you can color me impressed.


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[MikeCh]

Roger that.

[Mr Peabody]

Congrats. I'm feeling your enthusiasm. I'd like to listen to a set.

So the bass is good with side firing woofers? Could be room/placement but I seem to notice a lack of coherency in a set of Audio Physics I heard and KEF Blades. Not terrible but not quite right either.

[XV-1]

Congrats - looks like an amazing speaker.

I have a friend that an Acapella speaker with ion/plasma tweeter - made in Germany as well. Any similarities between the two tweeters?

[Kuoppis]

Congrats - looks like an amazing speaker.

I have a friend that an Acapella speaker with ion/plasma tweeter - made in Germany as well. Any similarities between the two tweeters?

Yes, Accapella and Lansche have some using the same principle. Not sure whether Accapella is licensing them from Lansche.

But it’s not just the tweeter alone, it’s their integration into the rest of the speakers which is essential.


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[Kuoppis]

Congrats. I'm feeling your enthusiasm. I'd like to listen to a set.

So the bass is good with side firing woofers? Could be room/placement but I seem to notice a lack of coherency in a set of Audio Physics I heard and KEF Blades. Not terrible but not quite right either.

The speaker concept is essentially two-way, with subs. That’s why Lansche calls them 2,5 way. The Coronas reach rather deep down to 1500 Hz, which allows the mid-woofers also to be optimized for a lower cut-off point. And the sub-chassis is cut off between 30-70 Hz, depending on how you set them. Therefore their crossover frequency is rather low, where directionality comes lesser into effect.

In both, the Audio Physic models and Kef Blades, they have regular woofers on the sides. This affects coherency considerably more.


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[Kuoppis]

What is the benefit of bi-amping in the semi-active speaker concept?

What Mr. Lansche also explained, is that attempting to drive tweeters, midrange and woofers with one amp will always lead to a sub-optimized end result. This is as the upper and lower register drivers operate at significantly different impedance levels. While the tweeter and midrange operate in the higher end, woofers go down much lower. This leads to suboptimal amplification on both ends as a result.

In the semi-active 4.2 the subsonic woofers are driven by a separate super powerful 1200 W amp, leaving the main amp to operate only on the higher impedance levels for the tweeter and midrange. As a result you’ll see the 4.2 impedance level being unusually high with a nominal impedance of 8 Ω and at minimum of 6.2 Ω. This is rather high, especially for a speaker reaching down to 15 Hz. As a consequence, the main amp can operate in an optimized impedance range, which in turn will yield better performance.

Lansche is also applying the same principle in the smaller 3.2 model by offering an option to customize the speaker by cutting the lower frequencies off and adding external subwoofer amplifiers.





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[Elberoth]

How much are they ?

I have heard them many times in Muchich, but their demos never impressed me. May be due to the difficoult room. The tweeter is killer though.

[kiwi_1282001]

I have owned three pairs of Magicos, so I like their tweeters. My latest S3 mk2 had the diamond coated variety.

However, in terms of resolution, smoothness, frequency range, layering, and presentation the Plasma tweeter is just way better. Imaging and sound-staging is just surreal. It is so much better you cannot even compare. Different league altogether. And the Magico tweeters are really good compared to the rest.


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I read the above observation with interest and wondered whether you could provide an example preferably using a favoured and cited piece of music of which you are very familiar, of just how the corona plasma tweeter reproduction differs from more conventional dome tweeters you have experience with.

I am also interested to read your thoughts, again with reference to some music, on how well the plasma tweeter integrates with the rest of the speaker.

[Elberoth]

Impossible to describe unless you hear it. Plasma has no moving mass and ... you can hear it. The sound is lightning fast, instantaneous and the resolution is jaw dropping. Every single tweeter I have heard sounds slow, coarse and lacking in resolution compared to this (and Acapella ION tweeter).

The problem is ... it is so fast, you can clearly hear wher the tweeter ends and mid takes over. It creates somehow inbalanced sound (speed wise) to my ears, where this tweeter - as great as it is - always sticks out.

It seems this 3-way from Lansche has a very high efficiency, and since high efficiency speakers tend to sound more imediate, maybe it somehow overcomes this problem (to the point where it becomes acceptable).

I would very much like to hear that speaker in my room.

[Kuoppis]

How much are they ?

I have heard them many times in Muchich, but their demos never impressed me. May be due to the difficoult room. The tweeter is killer though.

Not sure whether you have heard this model in Munich, at least not the past couple of years. Last year they showed the 7.2, Mike heard them and was impressed. The year before they showed the 5.2, which I didn’t like. Three years ago they showed the 3.1 SE. But I am not aware of a 4.2 demo in Munich.

Also, Lansche does not equal to Lansche. They do have a number of very different speaker concepts. I find the Plasma tweeter works best in the 2.5-way concepts with a fast midrange cone, i.e. the 3.1/ 3.2 or the 4.2. I personally do not hear a coherence issue in those, but YMMV.

In D’Appolito arrangements it typically is difficult in general to achieve good coherence. So I think it might rather be that concept, which is challenging. I was not convinced of their former top line 8.2. with a D’Appolito arrangement. According to Mike the 7.2 appeared to have worked well last year, but I have not heard them yet.

Also in some of their 3-way concepts I think coherence is more of an issue, e.g. the 3-way 5.2. I did not like the bass when I heard them in Munich. However, the 5.1 was also very favorably reviewed in Stereophile, and also part of their Class A recommendations while on the market.

Price is 46K in Europe.


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[Kuoppis]

I read the above observation with interest and wondered whether you could provide an example preferably using a favoured and cited piece of music of which you are very familiar, of just how the corona plasma tweeter reproduction differs from more conventional dome tweeters you have experience with.

I am also interested to read your thoughts, again with reference to some music, on how well the plasma tweeter integrates with the rest of the speaker.

Listened today to Jaques Loussier Trio “Best of Playing Bach” and it was really superb.


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[LVB]

Congratulations, a 180 degrees for sure; will miss you at the Magico fan club.
No doubt there is nothing like a plasma tweeter, but like mentioned, integration is a challenge. You may also want to make sure you have proper ventilation in the room; I believe these types of drivers may emit ionizing radiation.

[XV-1]

Where in the Lansche web site are the active speakers? I can only find the P series as in passive and H horn speakers.

No 4.2 semi active or any semi active speakers.

[Kuoppis]

Congratulations, a 180 degrees for sure; will miss you at the Magico fan club.
No doubt there is nothing like a plasma tweeter, but like mentioned, integration is a challenge. You may also want to make sure you have proper ventilation in the room; I believe these types of drivers may emit ionizing radiation.

My enjoyment of the Magicos will not go away, no worries. It’s just time to try something else. No rest for the wicked .

Due to the speed of the Plasma tweeter integration is always difficult, but to my ears this has been addressed to satisfaction in the 4.2.

In earlier versions by Braun there were there were some emissions, but that has been resolved by Lansche in the meantime. But the do obviously produce some heat, maybe a bit less than my earlier Pass amp.


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[Kuoppis]

Where in the Lansche web site are the active speakers? I can only find the P series as in passive and H horn speakers.

No 4.2 semi active or any semi active speakers.

The semi-active versions are now made by custom order only. That requires changes to the crossover and external power amps, which Lansche also offers. How that looks is shown with the new 3.2 below, also a neat concept. I got the last one with the amps integrated.





The nice thing with Lansches is, they continue to evolve after purchase through factory upgrades. No more being left stranded with the previous generation after a mk 2/ 3/ 4 launches.


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[kzhtoo]

Congrats, Kuoppis. Can’t say it came as a surprise knowing how you feel about the constant short product cycle. Sounds like you’ve found a worthy replacement.

Much has been talked about the plasma tweeter. I’m also interested in how you think about the bass performance compared to your S3 mk2.

[Kuoppis]

It seems this 3-way from Lansche has a very high efficiency, and since high efficiency speakers tend to sound more imediate, maybe it somehow overcomes this problem (to the point where it becomes acceptable).

I would very much like to hear that speaker in my room.

Adam, that is exactly why I went for this model. Or there are actually a couple of reasons.

High efficiency horns have something mesmerizing. The immediacy of the the sound is very appealing in general. Paired with the unique properties of the Plasma tweeter it creates an immediacy to the sound, which is hard to achieve with regular tweeters.

Second thing is the bi-amping in this semi-active concept. This is splitting the usually wide impedance spread between the tweeter, mid, and woofer drivers. That also helps significantly to achieve better coherence. Another ingredient is the speed and high frequency capability of the Soulution amps, so I would recommend fast amplification with good bass control. But of course a trade-off remains, in this particular concept I find it indeed acceptable.

Can’t offer you a demo in your own space off-the-cuff, but you are welcome to come and listen to my setup should you be close-by for business.


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[Kuoppis]

Congrats, Kuoppis. Can’t say it came as a surprise knowing how you feel about the constant short product cycle. Sounds like you’ve found a worthy replacement.

Much has been talked about the plasma tweeter. I’m also interested in how you think about the bass performance compared to your S3 mk2.

Hi Khin, this time I did not switch due to the product cycle. The S3 mk2 is still the current model. It’s more like I started listening to various horn-loaded models, and was taken by the immediacy of the sound. More “being there-ness”. I know that sounds odd, there is no such expression .

And you are right, I’m spoilt related to bass performance due to the Magico experience. But these babies have two 10” aluminum woofers, powered by a dedicated 1200 W amp. That makes the bass fast and taut. The difference is, through the active adjustments I can choose between the Magico type and shattering earth quakes. I have the bass on a moderate setting as I like good definition in the lower register.


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[kzhtoo]

Hi Khin, this time I did not switch due to the product cycle. The S3 mk2 is still the current model. It’s more like I started listening to various horn-loaded models, and was taken by the immediacy of the sound. More “being there-ness”. I know that sounds odd, there is no such expression .

And you are right, I’m spoilt related to bass performance due to the Magico experience. But these babies have two 10” aluminum woofers, powered by a dedicated 1200 W amp. That makes the bass fast and taut. The difference is, through the active adjustments I can choose between the Magico type and shattering earth quakes. I have the bass on a moderate setting as I like good definition in the lower register.


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I think I know what you are talking about regarding immediacy. It may not be exactly the same as what’s coming from high efficiency speakers, but when I added Diablo 300 and its 600wpc for 4 ohm (along with Denali and Hurricane pc), I felt it finally does the system justice in immediacy, coherence and dynamics.

As for Magico bass, for the music I listen to most, I haven’t found a better brand. YMMV of course.

[Kuoppis]

I think I know what you are talking about regarding immediacy. It may not be exactly the same as what’s coming from high efficiency speakers, but when I added Diablo 300 and its 600wpc for 4 ohm (along with Denali and Hurricane pc), I felt it finally does the system justice in immediacy, coherence and dynamics.

As for Magico bass, for the music I listen to most, I haven’t found a better brand. YMMV of course.

It is indeed similar. Through better amps you get improved dynamics, definition, and maybe clarity in the playback.

With horn-loaded speakers, the listener appears to be closer to where the music is happening, and to get more details. This is very strongly amplified through the speed, frequency range and high resolution of the Corona tweeter. Soundstage depth and width is also increasing, you have a feeling of being able to hear the different layers in the music. The music is kind of floating.


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[XV-1]

The semi-active versions are now made by custom order only. That requires changes to the crossover and external power amps, which Lansche also offers. How that looks is shown with the new 3.2 below, also a neat concept. I got the last one with the amps integrated.





The nice thing with Lansches is, they continue to evolve after purchase through factory upgrades. No more being left stranded with the previous generation after a mk 2/ 3/ 4 launches.


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seems bizzare if what you say, that the semi active are superior to the passive models, yet the semi actives are custom order only?

[Kuoppis]

seems bizzare if what you say, that the semi active are superior to the passive models, yet the semi actives are custom order only?

I talked about that to Rüdiger Lansche, and made the exact point you just made. He explained to me that the majority of his customers nevertheless seem to prefer passive speakers. That appears to be market preference. He is clearly recommending bi-amping though.

And that does not mean passive is necessarily better.


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[Kuoppis]

Just did some testing with 30-40 tracks I am very familiar with, to evaluate the 4.2’s coherence. My conclusion is that if there is an issue, it’s at least not very noticeable. But I found something else.

Listening for a couple of hours, I did slight adjustments to the positioning every now and then to optimize speaker placement, angle, distance from the front wall etc. These are my observations:

The Lansche 4.2’s paint an exceptionally wide, deep and well layered soundstage. I have never heard anything like this. This is also because you can hear more details than you usually do (remember, I’m used to Magicos). Musicians, instruments, solo vocalists, backing vocals, orchestras, and layers of the music can be heard exactly where the recording engineer placed them. It’s easily audible whether the vocalist stands slightly left or right of the microphone, or how the combo is positioned on the stage during a live take, or how the recording engineer layered and mixed instruments in the piece.

Retrieval of ambient information is exceptional, whether it’s Eva Cassidy on a club gig, or Elisabeth Schwarz singing the aria of the Queen of the Night in Karl Böhm’s recording at the Bayreuth Opera. Recordings with special attention paid to layering and channel interplay, like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, are presented in all their artistic sophistication.

Slight challenge is that dialing-in the Lansches perfectly will require great care to be perfect. Also, I believe it’s very difficult, or might even not be possible to achieve a perfect result, if your listening space is not properly acousticed, like e.g. in a trade show room. But after going through the pains the end result is really rewarding.


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[dlb2]

Sounds like you made the right choice with the new speakers. Time to update your sig.

[UltraFast69]

Kuoppis

Reading this thread does make you feel the energy, enjoy!


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[AJR]

Kuoppis, just catching up on this exciting change. Didn’t see it coming! Very pleased you have found speakers that better the S3 mk2s. Wow. Am fascinated/curious. Keep the reports coming!

[Kuoppis]

Kuoppis

Reading this thread does make you feel the energy, enjoy!

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Thanks . I’m quite excited about the change. The Lansche 4.2 is a great speaker and really takes my system up a notch.


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[Kuoppis]

Kuoppis, just catching up on this exciting change. Didn’t see it coming! Very pleased you have found speakers that better the S3 mk2s. Wow. Am fascinated/curious. Keep the reports coming!

Both are great speakers in their own right.

But this is the next step for me now. And I’m quite enthused


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[AJR]

So cool... Nothing like taking it to the next level of pleasure.

[walesi]

Wow, that was a surprise. Congrats! Need to give Lansches a good listen in Munich.

[Kuoppis]

Wow, that was a surprise. Congrats! Need to give Lansches a good listen in Munich.

Yes. But I must confess I have been eying the Plasma tweeter for a while already.

I hope they will have a semi-active version there. Was e-mailing with Mr. Lansche yesterday, and he again emphasized the importance of bi-amping.


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[Nikhil]

Congratulations Kuoppis!

Great to see your glowing praise for the Lansches.

I am also one of those who didn't know what quite to make of Lansche from my listening at Munich (2017). I did get a glimpse of the speed of the tweeters but could not get enough of a listen to gauge much more than that. Your experience shows how important the role of a good distributor is in allowing you to listen to them in your own setup. Very interesting to read up on your impressions of the models from within the Lansche lineup.

For a speaker to get you to move from Magico really does say something ... enjoy!

Regards



.

[Kuoppis]

Congratulations Kuoppis!

Great to see your glowing praise for the Lansches.

I am also one of those who didn't know what quite to make of Lansche from my listening at Munich (2017). I did get a glimpse of the speed of the tweeters but could not get enough of a listen to gauge much more than that. Your experience shows how important the role of a good distributor is in allowing you to listen to them in your own setup. Very interesting to read up on your impressions of the models from within the Lansche lineup.

For a speaker to get you to move from Magico really does say something ... enjoy!

Regards.

Thank you for the kind comment.

The Lansches are indeed great, and it is very important to hear them in your environment.

I do like Magicos, but with the Plasma horn tweeters the Lansches are more life-like.


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[Adyc]

Will plasma tweeter deteriorate as time goes by? Does it have a finite lifespan?

[Elberoth]

Yes. I believe 5-8 years between the rebuilds.

[Kuoppis]

Yes. I believe 5-8 years between the rebuilds.

That’s correct, 5-7K hours they say. With my level of use maybe 5-6 years between re-works.

That is an issue, but I never owned a speaker for that long anyway .


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[Kingrex]

Did you buy these direct or through Perfect Note? Just curious.

[Kuoppis]

Being Germany based, the manufacturer. Not entirely sure who handles distribution in the US.


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[Kuoppis]

First update to the Lansches: 3m AQ Thunder HC power cables to power the subwoofers and the Plasma tweeters.



First impression after the cables had settled a bit was a slightly tighter and crisper lower bass. The cables need to burn-in a bit for sure, but so far I like the effect.


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[Kuoppis]

Second update to the Lansches: Update of the Coronas to the latest 2019 revision. In the update all circuit boards inside the Plasma tweeter are replaced. This update increases resolution in the lower frequencies of the tweeter’s 1.5 kHz - 150 kHz frequency range.







This is how the Plasma tweeters look when taken out out the enclosure.

Really like what I’m hearing so far. Even more coherent sound top to bottom. Further improved imaging and soundstaging. The amount of detail is just mind boggling. And not even a hint of sharpness.


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