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The state of electrostatic speakers in 2021?

JTC

PFM Villager...
I’m interested in what’s still being made, and how good it is. I loved my ‘57s, but age on older ‘stats is always at the back of my mind, and so thoughts turn to current (or at least relatively recent options). Quad, Martin Logan, ???? Is that it?
 
Depending on Budget, check out Sander Sound Systems ELS, from the USA, he delivers worldwide and it has a lifetime warranty. I have an older design of his, he really knows what he is doing! The price includes one of his amps too!
 
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Sander speakers looks like a nice system, $20000 equates to £15000 but then there'll be customs and VAT I guess.
 
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Current line-up from Quad (British, good rep. and in Cambridgeshire) is the 2912 full sized ESL and its smaller sibling, the 2812. Ive heard the 2812 and it's as goos an ESL as you'd want or expect. I have the predecessor of the 2912, which is the 2905 (and again, with a smaller 2805), both of which are almost identical to the newer ones. Before that, the 989 and 988; still v. good.

The numbering is a bit confusing so may be slightly out there. To my mind, the bargain now is the 2905 in silver and black, which you can get for around the £2K mark; there are plenty around. The big and smaller versions of each incarnation have, I believe, the same footprint, so there's no (sensible hifi logical) reason to opt for the smaller one, which loses some dB in the bass.

Amazing transparency, soundstage and imaging, but needs a bit a space, esp. (about 3 feet+) behind.
 
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Roger West Sound Lab electrostatics are still being made, and the Dutch Audiostatic speakers.
 
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Sanders all the sound of quality ESLs but none of the drawbacks
No bass , limited dynamics , low output used with 2 x sanders amps sub 20hz & 120db
 
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I remember years ago thinking of getting a Sanders magtech amp with my Logan's .I don't think the reviews persuaded me . You can do more research on Martin Logan forum

There is a lovely ml ethos at second hand hi fi and thats a lovely sounding speaker

They are left on 24/7 and if you turn them off it takes s few days to recover

I had to Hoover mine as they attract dust .They have a BIG sound and sound magnificent. I had the mighty summit x in a fairly small room with 200 watt class ab msb amp .just occassionaly the slight hum you get with the class d amps was a teeny bit irritating .

They are very imposing speaker and love townshend speaker stands which tighten the bass

That said I don't miss them too much as the tannoy eatons are very satisfying and still give that lovely imaging and natural sound . Just on a smaller scale
 
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Was in HiFi Corner in Edinburgh on Thursday and they had some big electrostatics in there. Martin Logan's I think, alongside some other things that Dr Who vanquished many seasons ago.
 
MLs are magneplanars, not electrostatics. Very similar in operation, but the magnets and the printed coil just might give uneven membrane drive at higher frequencies

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Wrong, thinking about Maggies. I have never seen a ML.
 
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MLs are magneplanars, not electrostatics. Very similar in operation, but the magnets and the printed coil just might give uneven membrane drive at higher frequencies
You are surely thinking of Magnepans (and Eminent Technology), not Martin Logans. Latter is a true ESL, albeit with a curved diafragm for better lateral dispersion (and paired with a dynamic woofer - like ETs).
 
You are surely thinking of Magnepans (and Eminent Technology), not Martin Logans. Latter is a true ESL, albeit with a curved diafragm for better lateral dispersion (and paired with a dynamic woofer - like ETs).
Thanks, how on earth do they tension a curved diaphragm?
 
The ML line source is going to sound very different to a Quad 63+ point source. It must give combing effects at nearly all frequencies when you are relatively close to the speaker
 
The ML line source is going to sound very different to a Quad 63+ point source

I wasn't aware that the two ESL ranges used different formats/designs. I heard medium sized MLs some years ago and was impressed. However, most have a 30 degree dispersion, which is a bit narrow compared to the Quads; at least, the recent ones I know, excl. 63) Have long been tempted by their big hybrid (???? X), but not at all sure what advantages I'd get over my 2905s, except, presumably, lower bass.
 
Take a look/listen to the Magneplanars. Though not electrostatic, they are planar, mylar (or similar for the drive unit) based and no cabinet colouration.
They are taller but a smaller foot print. Height was an issue for me as I have a sloped ceiling.
I'm currently waiting on Quad 2912's.
 
MLs are magneplanars, not electrostatics. Very similar in operation, but the magnets and the printed coil just might give uneven membrane drive at higher frequencies

How does a MartinLogan electrostatic (ESL) speaker work?
Electrostatic speakers have three basic parts: the stators on the front and back (the black screens), a super-thin visually transparent electrostatic diaphragm, and spacing spars that suspend the diaphragm in the middle. Your amplifier's signal is applied to the stators to create an electrostatic field that moves the diaphragm and excites the air, creating the legendary MartinLogan sound that has captivated listeners for over 25 years.

Why do MartinLogan speakers also have woofers?
Small electrostatic speakers cannot reproduce deep bass (below 500Hz) as effectively as a cone woofer. MartinLogan's solution is a hybrid design that provides the best of both worlds—a high quality cone woofer to reproduce low bass and a single electrostatic driver to reproduce sound in the frequencies where human hearing is most sensitive to nuance.

https://www.martinlogan.com/en/what-are-electrostats
 
Aside from this mode issue, a curved diaphragm cannot be evenly tensioned from just the top and bottom, which means that different parts will move far more than others
 


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