Electrostatic Loudspeakers (ESL)

It is a widely accepted fact in the audiophile world that the ESL is at the pinnacle of sound reproduction. The simple reason for this is that they produce a very fast transient response due to the light weight of the diaphragm which cannot be equalled by any conventional electromagnetic or conventional cone loudspeaker (CCL). Another common fact is that the ESL provides an exemplary frequency response both in amplitude and phase. The transparency is also superior to CCL because of the large radiating surface.

The differences between an ESL and a CCL are significant. Unlike a CCL, which is comprised of cones or diaphragms of varying size, i.e. – tweeter (for high frequencies), woofers (for mid-range frequencies) and subwoofers (for low frequencies or LF), the ESL is constructed of a single thin diaphragm stretched and fixed between two electrode plates. The electrodes carry a positive charge and the diaphragm carries a negative charge. When a music signal is passed through the ESL it carries a waveform that is replicated by the electrodes which in turn move the diaphragm thus creating sound. In simple terms, it provides one surface to reproduce most of the audible frequency bandwidth (proportionate to size).

Despite ESL’s exceptional sound quality, it has had some issues which have restrained the technology being accepted as a mainstream product. These include:

  • Poor reliability
  • Insufficient bass
  • Poor dispersion
  • Low sensitivity
  • High load amplifiers
  • Large physical size
  • High manufacturing costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Whise® has overcome these limitations while retaining the unsurpassed quality of electrostatic sound without compromise. In particular, Whise® has perfected the ESL in the following areas:

  • Eliminating sensitivity to dust
  • Eliminating sensitivity to humidity
  • Eliminating flash over
  • Eliminating the need to use high current amplifiers
  • Patented passive electronic bass correction
  • Continuous bass control
  • Elimination of independent subwoofer on larger arrays
  • Reduction of air turbulence between grids
  • Patented mechanical resonance dispersion technology
  • Compression (not clipping) of damaging peak transient signals
  • Increased sensitivity to over 86db per watt
  • Significant reduction in physical size whilst retaining sonic quality

 

The new Whise® patented ESL technology has the following features and benefits:

  • Significant reduction in surface area with current models –i.e. 100mm x 100mm
  • Low cost to manufacture
  • Electronic complexity has been redesigned (and simplified) to increase reliability
  • Ability to mass produce

In simple terms, Whise® has taken an existing technology and made it better than any other ESL on the market. The consequence of this is that we have created a speaker that is not only unrivalled by any other ESL but we believe any CCL on the market today and in the foreseeable future.