detail,soundstage,image, handling

none

I also have an pair of es 100's...no dci's.The original es 100 sound very homogenic. and full detail. The es 50's i had sounded the same but the could not play very loud..I bought the es 100's whith new membrames so in the beginning the were very lump..But after 2 months playing the were at the best...I can drive them easely whith tube amps, class a amps etc...At the moment the are driven by rotel rha-rhb 10 amps..Its quite a nice combination... About the stators: don't smoke in the listeningroom...The membranes dirten very fast then! Second hand they cost very less ( about 2500 guilders) so try them i should say!

Similar Products Used:

audiostatic es 50, martin logan...

Great speaker! I bought it 7 years ago and I'm still very happy with it. I don't have any problems with the membranes and they sound just like they were brand new.

I bought the ES100's about 8 years ago.Retail price here in Holland was USS 2750 which was a revolution at that time:the first full range electrostatic speakers under the magic border of USS 4000.In the beginning the ES100's sounds outstanding;clear crisp high,beautifull midrange and deep rich bass.However after 3 years both ES100's starts to sounds worser and worser.After contacting the manufacter it turns out that the mylar
membrames where pollutied and the mylar folie needs to be replaced!! Of course the warranty was just expiered.Costs :USS 1000.After both mylar folies where replaced,the ES100's sounded like in the beginning.Now after 3 years again i'm back where i was:the sound of the ES100's is horrible,need about 100 watts to get some noise out of them.
So if you are looking for a pair of full range electrostatic speakers which performs ourstanding for only 3 years,this is for you! If you want a guaranteed
spend of your money (USS 1000) each three year,forget them!!
Be warned!!!!!!

I bought my ES-100 five years ago.I don`t have any problems with my speakers.This speaker needs only good cd,preamp,poweramp and cables.I have cd transport,
d/a converter,poweramp and pure silver interconnects/speakercables.I really like
my ES-100.Soundstage is wide,deep and solid.Treble is pure,and there is plenty
of bass for the music reproduction.OK,this is not the best possible speaker for
home theater.For this purpose it needs subwoofer.Velodyne FSR series is my choice,because it`s so fast and musical.But if you are audio enthusiast,your only intrest is how they sound.Like all electrostatic speaker,including ES-100,
i can really "see the music"This is not a latest product,but it works fine.
I believe it will satisfy my musical needs for many more years.

Detail, dynamics, superb imaging and transparent sound

Bass light

This review is for Audiostatic DC1 which replaced the ES100s

I was looking for a pair of replacement electrostatics for my accident damaged Quad 57s. I enjoyed the detail, dynamics, superb imaging and transparent sound which electrostatics are capable of. It was easy to pick out different makes of cymbals, guitars, formation of backing singers, laying of recording mixes, recording environments and timing information with electrostatics. I had heard dynamic speakers with these qualities but they cost much more, required higher volume levels to achieve the same results and in comparison to the improvements over a pair of Yamaha NS 1000 speakers I owned, did not warrant the additional expense.

I auditioned Quad 63s and Martin Logan SL3s. The 63’s had the same great detail, uncolored sound, neutral balance, a dynamic speaker type bass (generally with electrostatics you tend to hear the bass rather than feel it in the ribs), great imagining which did not require the listener to sit in the ‘sweet spot’ and not as fussy in room placement as the 57s. They seemed great but after 3 auditions, I found that all my favorite music lacked involvement. I put this down to the source electronics. The dealerships would not allow any other stating the source electronics (all Quad products) were best.

I then tried the SL3s. These were much more room sensitive for tonal balance than the 63s and 57’s. No matter what the Dealer tried the bass was heavy at low volumes and was not as transparent as a electrostatic panel. The listener had to be exactly in the ‘sweet spot’ for imaging. If the listener changed position by 2 feet than the image would disappear. Even when in the ‘sweet spot’ the image was not as pin point as the Quad 63s.

Finally came the DC1s audition. These had the image capabilities of the 63’s. They were more room sensitive for tonal balance compared to the 63’s but 100% better than the SL3s. They had better detail retrieval at lower volumes than the SL3s and the bass was more transparent. The bass was low in volume as compared with the 63’s and SL3s. The emotional impact was still intact unlike the 63’s.

The speakers are very transparent and you will notice changes of interconnects, source components extra. The better the Hi-fi chain and matching of components, the better they sound and image. They are a capacitive load and can sound ‘brittle’ and ‘hard’ some high end electronic amps even though appear matched in specification. A Krell produced very good results but was not as involving as the CJ 11a. They require a minimum of 70 watts to get a moderate level in a 15’ x 20’ room. They are sensitive to room acoustics for balance (for example they can appear bass light in a uncarpeted room). I recommend a sub woofer and active bass speakers or another pair of DC1, if you require to ‘feel’ the bass rather than hear it.

As with any piece of equipment you must audition it. Electrostatics are not like dynamic speakers in their presentation (unless you can afford large full range panels and high quality power amplifiers to drive them). You will hear all the musical detail in the bass and at its correct volume. Your body however will not have any air movement impact. This takes getting used to. You will notice minute details, imaging details and tonal differences in every recording which are lost on all but a few dynamic speaker and at much lower volume settings.



Sources:- CD, Marantz CD11, Amplifiers Conrad Johnson PV10A & Premier 11a, REL Stygian Mk11 Sub Woofer.
Interconnects. Van Hull 2nds.

Similar Products Used:

Quad 57, Quad 63, Martin Logan SL3. Dynamic speakers Yamaha NS1000M.

I bought a pair of Audiostatic speakers DCI few monthes a go , the sound for me was Ok , I could take them at a very discounted price , , I experienced a noise coming from one of the speakers 2 weeks later , since then I am asking the dealer to change the ribbon , or do somthing , the deale says that Audiostatic is not answering any fax , as if they just dissappeared , yet I am waiting .... for those willing to own Adiostatic , you have to expect problem at any time , as for back up , just forget it , can we give 0 star ?

I've had these electrostatic speakers for six years now. Excellent source components and amplifier they need for sure, because of the revealling character of these speakers. Soundstage, high mid and low are all fine, clear and well balanced. It's the fluidity of the music that makes these speakers extraordinary, the music just is music and not electronics, period. Now, unless you're a chainsmoker and never clean you're room I can understand that the membranes pick up some dust over the years and decrease the sensitivity, but I don't have the slightest problems with the membranes after six years, so no worries there!

No strength at any point

Everything

I am still estonished how peaple can give 5 stars to a product that is like this , I have listned to a pair called DCI + , many times with dealers and with different combinations of electronics , and each time I have to smile on the sound quality , it is radio like one , no bass , very thin sound , no details , no entertainment , even your beloved singer is not the same , a complete new kind of sound , a standing heavy speakers and expensive ones are supposed to reward the listners much more than that , any how , best is to experience your self and see what I meen , at least they are not my taste .

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan

incredible detail

big. not for smokers, needs to clean them every two weeks
= collects dust ,not for every room,

audiostatic es-200 with research mirror drive interface


incredible for eight years now. sounds like new, no problems wat so ever, equipment used complete denon s serie
carbon fibre cables

can listen to it without getting tired for hours

most important if you keep the esl clean from dust and smoke it lasts many years due to the very good glue used on the mylar