Electrostatic?

[JBLROCKS]

Hello

Anyone here have any experience with Electrostatic speakers? I have heard that they are qiute fantastic. I would like to pick up a pair to see for myself but they are hard to come by and EXPENSIVE

:jawdrop:
Thanks for any input

[Mr. Widget]

Yep, the good ones are great. They are typically more detailed and revealing than a horn based system but they are also quite large and few have the dynamic capabilities of a large horn system. Most of them have a bi-polar radiating characteristic and therefore can be difficult to place in a room. They also typically have a very different type of imaging. I really like Quads and Soundlabs. Some Martin Logans are good, but most of the smaller ones have issues blending their small panels with their dynamic woofers. For the most part I think Martin Logans are a bit bright too.

I must say my wife was ecstatic when I sold mine. :D

Widget

[Wardsweb]

I have owned my Martin Logan CLS panels for almost ten years. Yes, they have wonderful imaging and are the only speaker to compete with my large horn system. Now having said that, these speakers are not for the faint of heart. Room placement is critical and I mean by inches. They are a difficult load to drive so amplification is important. You either need some serious high power/high current solid state amps or , my favorite, at least 50/chnl tube watts. They are large, so become a focal point in the room. This is fine with me, as I love big speakers. And last, these are not rock speakers. If you want slam, you will have to marry a sub to these. Now having said all that. If you can handle their finnicky nature, these speakers are a true joy to listen to for long periods of time. For Jazz, Classical and vocals you would be hard pressed to find a speaker that does better in the price range. :)

[Ian Mackenzie]

I agree and the most recent Maggies come a close second with their open transparant sound quality.

Ian

[JBLROCKS]

Thanks for the input!

Sounds like I would be better off sticking to more "Conventional" designs, as I have a SMALL house and like to crank the ROCK ;) :bouncy:

[57BELAIRE]

Back in the late seventies I first heard a pair of electrostatics at a trade show and was so knocked out I had to get a pair. They were Infinity Servo-Static 1''s.They were two fairly large panels (30 x 30 ?) and a separate sub incorporating a downward firing 18 in. Cerwin Vega powered by it's own 100 watt amp.

The overall impression was one of smooth and open highs with a rock solid bottom...perfect, right? Actually, because my home had oak floors I never could crank it loud enough for my liking...the bass frequencies would vibrate the floors and result in an annoying rumble...the phono cartridge was re-amplifing the lows. Add to that the maze of cables and strict placement guidelines, they really never lived up to their expectations.

A few years later I tried again with a pair of Janzen panels...sweet smooth highs but no punch.

I think under the right circumstances with a dedicated set-up, enough clean power, and well recorded material(Boston Pops), one might find electrostatics to their liking.

If your tastes reflect your handle(JBLROCKS), stick with a pair of ground pounding corner horns....ROCK ON!

RBH

[Ken Andrew]

A cheap way to experience the spaciousness and freedom from colouration of ELS speakers is the STAX headphone range (STAX call them ear speakers). Make sure you buy the ELS models and not their cheaper ranges. The ELS midrange and treble sounds better than any full size loudspeaker. However the bass is pretty weak although you do get used to it.

The STAX 'professional' series (simply stunning) are much superior (esp in the bass) to the older models. This is the method which I use to confidently compare top end CD players.

A good model to search for on ebay is the STAX Lambda prof.
Remember all ELS are delicate.

[gullahisland]

I've owned Magnepan 1.6QRs, Martin Logan CLS IIzs, Apogee Duetta Signatures, Apogee Calipers, and Acoustat 1+1s and 2+2s both with the Medallion Transformers.

The level of detail is nothing short of extraordinary...particularly the Martin Logans and Acoustats.

Unfortunately, NONE of them are capable of recreating the dynamics of a live performance as with horns.

Of all these speakers, the Magnepans are the easiest to live with and probably the best bang for the buck. Around $1K will get you a pair of 1.6QRs. They're also not quite as touchy with placement as the others (although they'll reward you greatly if you get them just right). They're also not as difficult to drive with a straight 4 ohm resistive load. The Martin Logans, Acoustats and especially the Apogees will DESTROY all but the most robust solid state amplifiers (think Krell, Plinius, Classe, Levinson). Also, the Acoustats and Martin Logans sound like CRAP until you get them perfectly placed. The stereo image falls apart if you're not directly in the sweet spot.

For someone who likes to rockout and looking to try panels, I'd start with Magnepan or (if you have a VERY robust amplifier) a pair of full-range ribbon Apogees (don't bother with the later hybrids like Centaur, Slant, etc.). The Apogees deliver the most tuneful wonderful bottom end you've ever heard.

Hope this helps.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Some years ago I heard a set of Apogee's suck the life out of a 200+ watt VLT mono block .

Yes they are amp eaters.

Ian

[Titanium Dome]

I never met an electrostatic I couldn't walk away from. I'm fascinated by the technology and very impressed with the sound when everything is absolutely perfect (see several previous posts in this thread), but things are more prone to be imperfect, even in high end show rooms, and I can't spend serious money on something that difficult. (Just like a world class fashion model.)

With our JBLs, we can mess around with a lot of stuff, tweak, improve, modify, replace, refurbish, rebuild... :blah: :blah:

With an electrostatic speaker, what the heck are you gonna do? You either take it as is or leave it. I leave it.

Finnicky, demanding, overly sensitive, moody, unpredictable, resource-consuming, always dominating the room, hard or impossible to please: electrostatics or my ex-wife? :blink:

[Mr. Widget]

I never met someone's ex-wife I couldn't walk away from...


Widget

[hector.murray]

Good philosophy Widget.

[Mr. Widget]

That's not high moral fiber, it is trusting the wisdom of those that have gone on before me...:bs:

Widget

[Titanium Dome]

That's not high moral fiber, it is trusting the wisdom of those that have gone on before me...:bs:

Widget

Amen to that, brother.

Once in a while, you meet a man who thinks "I can tame her, because I'm more of a :blah: than her ex was." Good luck, buddy; you're going down.

At least with the electrostatics, if you don't like them, you can get them out of your house, maybe with a little financial loss, but without giving up your house, half your money, $xxx a month for support, and (boo hoo!) your vintage JBL sound system.

In retrospect the electrostatics look like a good deal.

[jblnut]

Amen to that, brother.


At least with the electrostatics, if you don't like them, you can get them out of your house, maybe with a little financial loss, but without giving up your house, half your money, $xxx a month for support, and (boo hoo!) your vintage JBL sound system.



I got out easy - my wife got the Infinitys from the bedroom but not the big JBL's from the living room. I had to give up the TV, VCR, Receiver and living room furniture but it was worth it :D .

You can't put a price on freedom and happiness....

jblnut

[transducergeek]

For certain types of listening, they are wonderful.. At lower levels, with really good recordings, but bad recordings, Fuggedaboudit...(any distortion will be mercylesly thrown at your eardrums, and you will be punished) But the clarity, for want of a better word, is fantastic...
The mids, and highs, wow... not so much the bass... but for the right music, you can be right into it, sweet... Back in 1967 I went to the LA High Fidelity show, and heard a set of Grado Electrostatics, it was my first hearing of the type, and I thought the jazz group were in the room... Left a lasting impression... I have a single unit Jantzen ES speaker I got at a garage sale for ? $40 or so? It is in storage now, but someday I will ....Get it out and, A. hook it up. B. sell it. 50/50 either way.. RE