If the electrostatic principle works so well for the reproduction of midrange and high frequencies, why use Transmission Line woofers (“T/Ls”) to reproduce bass?
A. Electrostatic speakers can be designed to reproduce bass; however, they do so by sacrificing high Sound Pressure Levels (SPLs), “slam”, linearity, and deep bass. Conventional magnetic woofers are quite capable in these areas — if only their transient response and distortion can be controlled. The common closed box or vented enclosure fails to do so. However, T/Ls solve these problems and make it possible for a well-designed magnetic woofer to blend seamlessly with an ESL. This gives you the best of both worlds — a speaker that is utterly clear with high output levels, and deep, powerful bass.
