Electrostatic Driver

Technology / Home Audio / Electrostatic Driver: The Electrostatic Driver generates a motive force for its diaphragm by the interaction of electric rather than magnetic fields as is the case for the dynamic driver. The electrostatic driver is basically 'hung' on a frame. It does NOT have a box enclosure, so a great deal of 'coloration' (frequency response fluctuations caused by the enclosure reflections) is avoided. A large diaphragm of lightweight material is placed between two perforated (acoustically transparent) electrodes. The diaphragm is electrically polarized at a few thousand volts relative to the electrodes, which maintain a large electrostatic field. The audio signal is applied to the two electrodes in a push-pull fashion. Under these conditions, the diaphragm will vibrate in step with the audio drive signal and produce sound. Because it is a true push-pull driver (i.e. Its diaphragm is driven from both front and rear), it operates in a linear fashion. In an electrostatic driver, the driving force is uniform over the entire diaphragm surface (note that for the Dynamic Driver, the diaphragm is driven over a small portion of its overall surface) as a result, Electrostatic Drivers do not suffer drastically from 'breakup' effect as dynamic drivers. Gross distortion typically results only if the driving amplifier clips into the speaker, or when, in an attempt to play the driver at a higher sound level than its design permits, its step-up transformer may reach a point of saturation. Due to the diaphragm of the electrostatic driver being of low mass (lightweight), its transient response is excellent and reproduction of subtle, low-level musical details is exceptional.
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Piezoelectric Driver

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Ribbon Driver

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Virtual Device Driver (VDD)

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