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View Full Version : DIY Electrostatic speakers?

nms
04-01-2008, 06:18 PM
Has anyone here built some? Any general thoughts? This is one of my possible summer projects, it'd be interesting to see how home-made ESLs stack up against some vintage polks.

And before anyone says it, I know they have a reputation for a lousy low end. I'm thinking of building a small proof-of-concept speaker first, and if it works, build 2 huge ones and find some way to (cheaply) build a sub unit.
ben62670
04-01-2008, 06:24 PM
Any links on projects you are looking at?
Sounds interesting.
Ben
nms
04-02-2008, 12:17 AM
Just doing google searches and browsing what comes up.

Here are a couple helpful ones I've found so far:

http://mark.rehorst.com/ESLs/index.htm
http://www.sacdmods.com/ESL/

If anyone can tell me where the email address for the first one is from you get an internet cookie! :)
dorokusai
04-02-2008, 12:40 AM
Fight Club.....PLEASE give me a cookie.

I think it's a great idea and DIY speakers are real cool in my book. I haven't heard any ESL but a host of homebrew's and always been impressed....well, not always but the fact they did something was solid.
ben62670
04-02-2008, 01:10 AM
Pretty cool reading. I would love to truely make a set of nice speakers. I would like to hear them, or at least hear from someone whose opinion I valued did before doing a build.
Ben
TroyD
04-02-2008, 09:47 AM
I think it's a VERY cool idea.

BDT
nms
04-02-2008, 09:59 AM
Fight Club.....PLEASE give me a cookie.

I think it's a great idea and DIY speakers are real cool in my book. I haven't heard any ESL but a host of homebrew's and always been impressed....well, not always but the fact they did something was solid.

doro gets a cookie! Here it is:

http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/zonis/Best_Cookie-20.jpg
GV#27
04-02-2008, 08:41 PM
Have you checked out the cost and availability of the high voltage tranformer needed?That might be the hardest and most costly part to acquire.
ShinAce
04-03-2008, 11:31 AM
Which transformer? The DC bias transformers should be pretty easy to score for cheap. Maybe an old TV flyback transformer(5KV - don't know if it's AC or DC).

The output transformers are a different story. The signal is passed through these and they should not be compromised too much.
Jim Shearer
04-04-2008, 08:41 PM
DIYaudio.com has a section called 'ESL, Planar, and alternative technologies' under their loudspeaker group. Don't know how active that section is, but if they are as helpful as the folks in the Full Range section (where I hang out,) then they could be just who you need to talk to.

Cheers, Jim