MartinLogan CLS IIz - Manual (Page 12)

How can sound be reproduced by something that you are
able to see through? Electrostatic energy makes this possible.
Where the world of traditional loudspeaker technology deals
with cones, domes, diaphragms and ribbons that are moved
with magnetism, the world of electrostatic loudspeakers deals
with charged electrons attracting and repelling each other.
To fully understand the electrostatic concept, some back-
ground information will be helpful. Remember when you
learned in a science or physics class that like charges repel
each other and opposite charges attract each other? Well,
this principle is the foundation of the electrostatic concept.
An electrostatic transducer consists of three pieces: the
stators, the diaphragm and the spacers (See Figure 11). The
diaphragm is what actually moves to excite the air and
create music. The stator’s job is to remain stationary, hence
the word stator, and to provide a reference point for the
moving diaphragm. The spacers provide the diaphragm
with a fixed distance in which to move between the stators.
As your amplifier sends music signals to an electrostatic
speaker, these signals are changed into two high-voltage
signals that are equal in strength but opposite in polarity.
These high voltage signals are then applied to the stators.
The resulting electrostatic field, created by the opposing
high voltage on the stators, works simultaneously with
and against the diaphragm, consequently moving it back
and forth, producing music. This technique is known as
push-pull operation and is a major contributor to the sonic
purity of the electrostatic concept due to its exceptional
linearity and low distortion.
Figure 11. Cut-away view of an electrostatic transducer.
Notice the simplicity due to minimal parts usage.
12 Electrostatic Advantages
E
LECTROSTATIC
A
DVANTAGES