Electrostatic speakers are now more widely available, and overcome the audiophile’s biggest complaint about standard speakers. With conventional speakers, there has always been a single drawback – the crossover. Since most speakers use 2 or 3 drivers, a crossover is required to send the higher frequency signals to the tweeter, the mid-level frequencies to the midrange, and the low frequencies to the subwoofer. The problem with this design is that there will always be crossover points, that is, the point where two different drivers are reproducing the frequency where the signal was split. Depending on the design of the crossover, you can end up with too much of a particular frequency, or not enough.

Electrostatic speakers are not a new technology. The first patent for an electrostatic speaker was granted in 1953.

How Electrostatic Speakers Work

Electrostatic speakers operate using two highly charged panels opposite each other. These panels can have as much as 10,000 volts stored in them. Sandwiched between these two panels is a polyester film. The signal from the amplifier causes a polarity difference between these two panels to fluctuate, thus pushing, or pulling the film housed between them. The movement of this panel also causes the air around it to move, producing sound. Since there is only one panel, there are no crossover points, thus improving the sound quality and clarity of the speaker.

Perhaps the coolest aspect of electrostatic speakers is that they are transparent. The polyester film used in electrostatic speakers is usually clear, resulting in a speaker that you can actually see through.

There is one major drawback. Most electrostatic speakers are very expensive when compared to typical, driver-driven speakers. Base model electrostatic speakers can cost thousands of dollars for a pair, and over $100,000 from manufacturers such as Martin Logan and Sound Lab. Multiply this even further if you desire full surround sound for your home theater.

Electrostatic speakers also struggle to reproduce bass frequencies. Most people have found that the lack of bass response is an acceptable weakness offset by the significantly improved sound quality, and is easily remedied with the addition of a subwoofer.

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