A pic of my Aria's in process

Hello everyone

Ah yes — WBF. The place where opinions circulate faster than understanding, often helped along by sponsorships and conveniently aligned narratives. A wonderful way to start the day.

At this point, it’s probably time to open a Clarisys Audio Owners Forum.
Nudge, nudge to our friend Mike 😉 Now to the actual question.

The WBF thread in question was started by a Clarisys owner who previously owned Alsyvox and chose to replace it with Clarisys, citing limited dynamics and bass performance as the decisive reasons.

For clarity: Clarisys Audio now owns that Alsyvox speaker.

What follows is not speculation or forum theory, but a technical explanation of why that experience occurred.

Ribbon vs. Planar Magnetic​

Let’s get terminology straight first, because this is where the discussion usually derails.
  • A true ribbon is suspended between two fixing points inside a magnetic field.
  • The moment a diaphragm is fixed on all four sides, it is no longer a ribbon in the strict sense — it is a planar magnetic driver.
  • The Alsyvox bass section is attached on four sides, like the Magnepan.
  • Clarisys bass ribbons are attached on two sides only. This distinction is not semantic — it is fundamental.
Calling both designs “ribbons” may sound convenient in forum discussions, but it ignores basic mechanics.

Restoring Force – Corrugation & Material Science​

A diaphragm made from Mylar or similar polymer films has no intrinsic restoring force. The material flexes, creeps, and does not naturally return to a precise neutral position. The audible result is reduced control, softer transients, and limited bass dynamics.
Yes, you can partially compensate for this by adding push-pull magnet arrays on both sides of the diaphragm. But let’s be honest: this is a band-aid, not an elegant solution. You are using magnetic force to compensate for a material that fundamentally lacks mechanical control.
A corrugated aluminium ribbon, on the other hand, is a mechanical spring system by design. The corrugation is the restoring force. Lightly displace a Clarisys diaphragm and it returns automatically to its center position, without relying on additional magnetic correction in front of the driver. This is not theoretical — it is directly observable.

Implementation Differences (Often Ignored in Online Debates)​

  • Clarisys bass ribbonsuse
    • Corrugated aluminium diaphragm
    • Two-side suspension, not four-side clamping
    • Internal mechanical spring behavior via corrugation
    • Dedicated horizontal tensioning systems per bass ribbon section
    • Restoring force is built into the membrane and the mechanics, not outsourced to magnet strength
  • Alsyvox bass panelsuse
    • A polymer-based membrane
    • Four-side attachment
    • No intrinsic mechanical restoring force
    • No horizontal tensioning system
These are design choices, not value judgments — but pretending they are equivalent is simply incorrect.

Final note to WBF readers​

Disagreeing is fine. Preferences are subjective.
But physics doesn’t care about forum narratives.
If we want a serious discussion, we need to stop blurring the line between true ribbons and planar magnetics, and stop pretending that material science and restoring force are optional details.

A necessary clarification on ribbon technology leadership​

Clarisys Audio is currently the leader in ribbon loudspeaker innovation. Not by branding, but by engineering.
Unlike Alsyvox, we no longer use Mylar/Kapton-based aluminium traces in our midrange and treble. Those approaches belong to an earlier generation of planar thinking.

Instead, Clarisys employs:
  • Pure aluminium ribbons
  • Zero vertical support
  • True free-suspended ribbon operation
  • Bipolar radiation
  • Transformer-coupled drive topology
This is a true ribbon in the strict mechanical and electromagnetic sense — not a planar magnetic reinterpretation.

In many ways, this represents a “Generation 3000” evolution of the original Apogee Acoustics (1980s to early 2000s) concept — a lineage we openly acknowledge and respect. Without Apogee Acoustics, none of this would exist

We owe Apogee Acoustics (1980s to early 2000s) everything.
But we are not repeating it — we are finishing what they started.
 
Last edited:
Adyc said:
Great explanation. Very clear now. I suggest to put this information remove the Alsyvox bit in your website.
Click to expand...
Thank you — yes, the website is currently being updated.
That said, customers ultimately decide with their ears, not with websites.

Clarisys is growing and expanding steadily. I only step into these discussions to prevent random individuals from spreading misinformation and to keep the technical facts straight.
 
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