SURVEY: How do your non-audiophile friends react when they see flat-panel speakers? (1 Viewer)

[Arnel Enero]

I asked this coz when my non-audiophile friends saw electrostats such as MartinLogans or planar-magnetics such as Magnepan for the first time, they just couldn't believe they were actually speakers.
To quote one instance (seeing a "static" -- i.e., not connected -- display of Magnepan 1.6QR):
"So those are the sound-proofing stuff you used to talk about, right?"
And another (friend's wife upon seeing the MartinLogan Scenario)
"That's a subwoofer, right? But why is there a screen [pointing to the ESL panel] attached to it?"
Yeah, right.
Share your experiences, too.

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

When I first saw electrostatics I was a skeptic of how they sounded.

It was the ML odyssey through Levinson monoblocks.

I thought, "How is a large panel supposed to produce discrete highs and mids without the vibrations affecting the other frequencies?" And thought "where exactly does a sound come from on an entire panel... like does a single frequency radiate from the entire panel or do the highs come from the top middle area only.

Then when I heard them I was impressed with the sound, but not so much the cost. They were loud and clear, but I couldn't get over that the sound radiates from the rear of the speaker as well as the front. That would mean that they need something to absorb the sound behind them.

Then I saw that there was a sub in the base, and so I made the assumption that flat panels can't move a lot of air which is why a sub is needed. And I also began to question the thin membrane that has to vibrate and the reliability of the sound.

My friends and I were still amazed at how sound could come from a flat panel and it certainly has that "wow" factor even though ESL has been around for quite a while.

 

[John Royster]

Puzzled.
Then they hear them. awe and bunches of smiles. "WOW, that bass is great, its so clean and punchy. Turn up the sub some"
The sub is turned off I say. Anything in particular you wanna listen to?
"yeah, you got eminem?".
Emabarrased I go fetch his new CD from the rack and we are now forced to listen to a lame attempt by eminem to produce in his studio.

 

[rodneyH]

I had (have still in storage) a set of magnaplanars. People would oh over them, but to be real honest, it was a little embarrassing, since I hate the way they sound (actually "hate" is a strong word, I will just say that they are in storage for a reason). I got them as a gift from a rich uncle.

 

[Arnel Enero]

RodneyH,

Just be prepared for the wrath of Magnepan owners/fans here... LOL, just kidding!

Btw, I don't belong to the Magnepan camp, as most of you know already.

 

[rodneyH]

Arnel, that is cool, I just have different tastes. I know some audiophiles who love planers, that is cool with me, we all hear differntly

 

[Mike Matheson]

"He's got large black doors in his room. . ." (Magnepan 1.6QR's and MG-12's)

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

The same thing happened to me recently. I went into a local Audio King with a non-audiophile friend of mine and showed him a set of Martin Logans they had on display at the store. He was quite amazed to find out that they were in fact speakers. I managed to get one of the salesman to take some time to listen to some a pair in their show room. To say the least, my buddy was quite impressed. I'm not certain if it was with the sound quality or the fact that these clear looking things were actually producing the sound, but he was impressed.

 

[Chu Gai]

I was also impressed many years ago (early 80's?), when I heard a plasma speaker. The company I believe was Plasmatronics and they used Helium as an ionizing gas. I think it was a hybrid design, but I recall it was rather amazing seeing the tweeter glow and pulse to the music in the darkened room. That's what I call a massless 'diaphragm". Of course you did have to fill the helium tank up.

 

[James Bergeron]

Is there not a company that makes "glass" panel speakers. It was pointed out on here maybe a year ago. They are just clear glass you can put in a room and nobody would even know they were there, VERY cool. Cost alot though!