Maybe an idea for a new model :
http://www.audiostatic.com/models.html
Active fullrange electrostatics with ICE technology, and you can stream wireless sound to them.....
I've always liked the idea of fully active speakers. No one does that concept better than Meridian does with their DSP speaker lineup and their digital front end processors. Everyone should hear a well set up Meridian digital theater system at least once for reference to what a well done 'box speaker' based system can sound like. It's truly amazing.
As for Electrostats, I believe there is much room for real-world, in-room improvements if one has a fully active system (I should know, mine is
).
Besides the obvious benefits of active crossovers, there is the other entire speaker centric processing one could do. EQ'ing the basic speaker (and yes, all system designers EQ, that's a large portion of many a passive crossover) is a given, and the option to EQ to the room is even better.
The biggest benefit might come from being able to normalize the power curve of a speaker, such that if it is constrained to a max SPL of 96dB at 200Hz, then the electronics can limit the rest of the spectrum to not exceed that level.
This multi-band limiter might sound like a really bad thing to the purists, but which is worse: a speaker that morphs its frequency response based on SPL or a system with a well defined ceiling and consistent response up to that ceiling?
The other advantage to systems with integrated amplification, is that the purchaser is guaranteed that the overall system will perform to its basics specs, and the electronics can be tuned much more precisely, as the drive interactions (which in ESL's are a BIG part of the equation) can be factored in.
I mean, ESL vendors publish their specs, but unless one used a very similar amp, the resulting frequency response and overall power curves could be wildly different.
For instance, someone driving a CLS with the kilowatt Sanders ESL amp will be hearing vastly different things than someone driving that panel with a low-power SE tube amp.
Personally, I feel that way we buy audio systems today is sort of like buying a car without an engine and then going out and trying to figure out the best fit based on trial and error. I'd much rather have the manufacturer figure out two or three options (good vs high-performance) and design those to a T and offer us the options (just like car vendors do).
To follow the analogy, I see lots of Corvettes with 4 cylinder 2 liter engines in them. Oh, and no shortage of Kia Spectra’s with V10’s as well
PS – Being a wee bit controversial on purpose, as this could be a fun topic …
