Criterion S 230

A loudspeaker cone should ideally behave as a rigid piston — moving uniformly across its entire surface. In reality, every cone material has resonant modes where different parts of the cone flex independently, creating coloration and distortion. Most manufacturers address this with heavy damping materials that suppress resonances but also reduce efficiency and transient speed. T+A's StarStabilizer takes a different approach: a star-shaped reinforcement structure is bonded to the cone, with each arm precisely calculated to break up the symmetrical resonance patterns that would otherwise form. The silicon powder coating adds controlled damping at the molecular level without adding significant mass. Combined with a deliberately calculated conical arc geometry — where the cone's curvature is optimised to direct vibrational energy toward the surround rather than allowing it to reflect back — the result is a driver that maintains true pistonic motion across its entire operating bandwidth. This means cleaner midrange, tighter bass, and more accurate transient response without sacrificing the efficiency and dynamic responsiveness that lightweight cones provide.