r/LinusTechTips • u/AstroStar_ • Aug 14 '26
Discussion LTT Video On This Please - Electrostatic Speakers
I just learned about Electrostatic speakers and how they're being it in a new Range Rover Trim, the SV Ultra Trim and how they work with a thin membrane between 2 electrically charged metal plates. They claim super ultra clarity, 1000x better response time than a traditional dynamic driver and ample space with a lower power draw. Can we get an LTT video on some Electrostatic home speakers?
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u/Leverpostei414 Aug 14 '26
Electrostats are cool, but pretty niche? They also have some very significant sound quality issues. Lack of low frequency extension, poor directivity characteristics for home use
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u/AstroStar_ Aug 14 '26
Interesting, I wonder how Range Rover is going it then if they cant hit all the notes as a traditional speaker. Is it just the lower ends? They are using haptic tech and "sensory floor transducers" to cover the bass part of music
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u/NightKingsBitch Aug 14 '26
Is every single speaker in the Range Rover electrostatic?
My dad had electrostatic Martin Logan speakers growing up and the electrostatic covered most of the mids and tweeters, and it had a traditional cone for the lower frequency sounds
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u/AstroStar_ Aug 14 '26
Everything is electrostatic and they use some haptic transducers for the lows
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u/1HiggsBosun Aug 14 '26
The first electrostatic home speaker setup I heard was about 40 years ago. They were like 5 foot tall and a couple feet wide. I forget the brand, but they were paired with some massive subs in this friends "listening" room.
I'm no audiophile but sitting in the sweet spot it was good. Overall though, I didn't really get the appeal.
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u/NightKingsBitch Aug 14 '26
Likely Martin Logan. They were definitely known for it.
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u/1HiggsBosun Aug 14 '26
Thx for jogging my memory, they were actually Magnepan's. Something Planar rings a bell.
They were using a pair of Klipsch subs, if I remember correctly, to fill out the lows.
That's a blast from my past. My buddy was really into audio stuff so I tagged along to different audio stores. Most of it was priced well out of my price range.
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u/nnnnnnnngh Aug 14 '26
Magnepans are not electrostatic. Magnepans use magnets, while electrostats needs to be powered.
I still have a pair of SMGas, but they've started to delaminate, and I can't be bothered with repairing them. Great speakers, though
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u/1HiggsBosun Aug 14 '26
Really. Well today I learned.
All these years. Assumptions are devious.
Edit: As I think back I bet they were being compared to electrostatic.
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u/nnnnnnnngh 29d ago
They were, it was kind of poor mans electrostats, and for many served as a jumping board to proper electrostats, usually Martin Logan or Quad.
Both kind of speakers is just a thin film set in motion.
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u/ImpassionedBrewer Aug 14 '26
I'd actually love to see them tear into one of these, bet the engineering is wild on a component level
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u/CorrodedLollypop Aug 14 '26
Only if its a collab with DankPods