Ignorance is not bliss - newbie Aerius owner question

[REALININTHEEARS]

Greetings fellow MLO folks. I wonder if, in an effort to be less ignorant, I can get some enlightenment from anyone with the time to share their wisdom for what is undoubtedly a rudimentary hifi question. Given that the perforated front panel of our speakers is an integral part of the electrostatic mechanism and that conventional speakers are often/mostly sold with fabric fronts for cosmetic effect, how does sound propagate through such and why don't our stators mess up the music just as much if not more than fabric should ... but apparently doesn't? Thanks, David.

 

[sleepysurf]

My understanding is that the perforated front panel merely attenuates the sound a bit, such that the effective transducer area, is reduced, rather than causing distortion. I think listening (and measurements) support that theory. FYI, here's a relevant excerpt from ML's website...

MicroPerf Stators

Although stators are the elements of an electrostatic driver that are supposed to stand still, they carry the audio signals that do the work of propelling the diaphragm back and forth to move air and produce sound. Because the stators sandwich the diaphragm between them, they must be perforated to allow sound to pass through. Yet they must also be rigid enough to remain absolutely stationary despite the strong electrostatic forces pushing and pulling at them during operation.

MartinLogan's MicroPerf design optimizes this tradeoff by reducing the size of the individual holes and using many more of them than in a traditional electrostatic panel. MicroPerf almost doubles effective diaphragm radiating area without compromising structural integrity. The resulting increase in output capability and efficiency allows a panel to be made much smaller without sacrificing performance - or to enjoy a substantial leap in bandwidth and dynamics without growing larger.