Sound is motion in air. The best-known way of turning electrical signals into motion is using magnets to push things around, which is an application of the trick we all did in physics lessons. Wrap a piece of copper wire around a nail, connect it to a battery, and a magnet is formed.
The problem is that the energy involved has to move both air and the mechanical parts of the device itself. Either the wire or the nail a large magnet in a speaker is heavy.
Heavy objects have inertia, so if we just apply the audio signal to the magnetic coil, it won't precisely follow the shape of the audio waveform. Some of the energy will be used just accelerating and decelerating the weight, creating distortion. The most common workaround is to use a combination of various speakers, where the smallest provide precision at higher frequencies and the larger ones are needed to move enough air for adequate bass response. Clever electronics have made it possible to greatly optimise the performance of magnetically-driven loudspeakers, but there are no perfect fixes.
Electrostatic speakers use a force other than magnetism to move the air around. Most people are aware that opposing electrical charges attract one another, but actually building a speaker using this technology is complicated by the fact that the electrostatic force is small.
High voltages must be used in order to create sufficient mechanical action. The construction of an electrostatic speaker is generally three-layered, with two grid-like electrodes at the front and back through which sound can escape, and a conductive diaphragm in-between.
Applying a high voltage between the diaphragm and an electrodes causes the diaphragm to move. Crucially, the diaphragm can be extremely lightweight. A dynamic woofer radiates omni-directionally, whereas an electrostatic panel, being a dipole, radiates in an approximately figure-8 pattern. In addition, other companies who have made such hybrids have often exhibited something of a Napoleon complex, overemphasizing the output from the woofer in an apparent effort to prove their loudspeaker manhood.
The result of that misguided strategy is invariably thick, turgid bass that obscures midrange detail, thereby obliterating one of the main reasons for building an electrostatic speaker to begin with. We don't do that.
Instead, our speakers incorporate extremely high-performance woofers, crossed over the electrostatic panels via carefully tailored, precisely calculated networks made with top-quality components.
Low crossover frequencies, phase- and amplitude-optimized crossovers, and critically damped woofers ensure a seamless transition between the two types of drivers, yielding speakers that really do offer the best of both worlds. Curvilinear Line Source panels. MartinLogan's CLS electrostatic panels are an elegant solution to the problem of achieving the preferred range of horizontal dispersion from a driver having a large diaphragm surface area. Our proprietary Vacuum Bonding technique, aerospace adhesives, and arduously developed construction methods enable us to build panels with optimum horizontal curvature, yet without compromising performance, sound quality, or structural integrity.
At the same time, CLS panels maintain relatively limited vertical dispersion, which minimizes undesirable floor and ceiling reflections. And they do so naturally, without resorting to tricks such as multi-driver arrays or to horns, which create other problems of their own.
We don't claim that MartinLogan speakers are perfect - only that they are closer to perfection than any others that have ever been made. And we're working constantly to make them better. The proof of the engineering is in the listening.
We encourage you to audition our work; we believe you will find it a special and rewarding experience. Our Speakers Discover Truth in Sound. Wireless Systems Exhilarating whole-home audio, simplified. Soundbars Ultimate all-in-one surround sound systems.
Powered Subwoofers Deep, musical bass. Architectural Discreet, high-performance distributed audio. Outdoor Superb sound in the great outdoors. Truth in Sound Our quest for audio perfection.
Product Museum View our legendary products. Videos Learn more by watching. Electrostatic Loudspeaker History. Electrostatic ESL Theory. Parts of an Electrostatic Transducer. Electrostatic Forces at Work. Quick Facts The diaphragm material used in a MartinLogan transducer is only 12 microns thick 0. Here are some facts to consider for comparison: Kitchen cling wrap is microns thick. Human hair is microns thick 8 times thicker!!! How Electrostatic Speakers Work An electrostatic transducer has three basic components - stators, diaphragm, and spars spacers - assembled as a sandwich.
Uncompromising performance. Unflinching accuracy. Unwavering reliability. Harnessing the myriad technical advantages of electrostatic principles to recreate sound in its truest form—this is what MartinLogan is all about.
Discover Truth in Sound. For this reason, electrostatic speakers are often paired with a woofer that boosts the low-frequency range. The other problem with electrostatic speakers is that they must be plugged into the wall and so are more difficult to place in a room. Sign up for our Newsletter!
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