Best Electrostatic loudspeaker?

If you have a large enough room, and sufficient money, the Soundlab Ultimate One is the best electrostatic made. I also think it is the finest speaker made of any type, and at any price, However, at over $27,000.00 for the Ultimates Ones, there are a lot of choices out there. There will be people who prefer other types of speakers, for more and less money, as there is NO perfect speaker. The Soundlab has the magic of ULTRA low distortion, combined with a phase and spatially correct wall of sound that delivers a perfect image. The musical performance appears at true life size, while maintaining the subtleties that define a live performance. Amazingly, they accomplish this on both Jazz and Classical music. Quite a feat, considering the differences in the style and type of performance, not to mention the vast differences in recording techniques. The Ultimates Ones also have the highest resolution of any speaker I have ever heard, their speed and transparency render both instruments and voice so real, that at times, you find yourself laughing with joy. If, however, you treasure extreme bass output (pressure) or very loud SPL, or perhaps the different type of coloration and contrast that a dynamic system delivers, then there are many others (like the Beethoven for instance) that fill that requirement. (In fact, the Beethoven is what I would own if I could not have the Soundlab Ultimates, which I already have.) One thing is certain, all of the pieces in a stereo system are a compromise, no matter what they cost. To help overcome this problem, a great deal of care has to be taken to match all the components so that they work together as perfectly as possible. In the end, this will require room treatment as well. Every listening room I have ever been in had problems that the equipment alone could not overcome, no matter how much was spent.

Jazzman, that last posting was from me,(marked 01-20-00). sorry my name did not print. However, as long as I am posting again, in response to the comments about the telephone at Soundlabs by "Vacuum Tube at SW Bell," many high end manufacturers are very small company's and are sometime slow (or use machines) to answer their phone. I think it would be a mistake to confuse phone response with quality. There are instances every day where I am frustrated by either telephone tag, long hold times or inadequate answers from any number and type of companies. In fact, I would be amazed if Soundlab is your only "less than perfect" telephone experience. The people at Soundlab are wonderful, and even if they are a little slow (only 5 employees) they produce a product not rivaled by even huge companies. I am proud to say too, that they just received the Golden Ear award at the CES a few weeks ago from Harry Pearson of Absolute Sound. I happened to be lucky enough to be standing there to enjoy the presentation. Roger West and his people are wonderful creators, and wonderful people. It's nice to see them receive credit after over 20 years of work, building electrostatic speakers.

If you will post me your e-mail address, I will write you with my e-mail address and phone number. I have Ultimate Ones and have tons of info on Soundlab in general. There is an audio group here and together we own six pair of Soundlabs.

To Sol322. I have always wondered why with all the high end interconnect, speaker cable and accessories, why in the world does someone NOT make high end fuses? Strictly speaking, none of the components in a high end system can survive after bypassing the fuse. Not only would this void the warranty, it is a fire hazard. The reason fuses sound so bad, is the fact that it they are such a tiny conductor, (often the size of a human hair!) they are generally not soldered in place, they consist of metallurgy that is a completely different material, housed in a crappy (plastic) holder that can resonate, and in general, breaks an otherwise fairly seamless connection between the power and its final destination. Yes, they pretty much sound awful! The suggestion about replacing and/or wiring around the Soundlab fuses comes from inside information, and a certainty that there is no risk to the user. The Soundlab only draws one eight of an amp, because it converts the AC power to a ultra high voltage (ultra low amperage) power supply to drive the electrostatic panels. A failure at this power supply cannot cause a hazard for the user in this particular situation. Unfortunately, other high end equipment is just the opposite! I agree with you, where are the high end fuse holders, fuses and connectors to make them work? How about a sophisticated, all copper device that could solve at least some of these issues? Perhaps it is possible to develop a breaker that uses much larger contact area, and of superior materials, that could fail by going into trip mode. I am not a designer, so I guess I really don't know how to get there, but your question is superb, considering the money we all spend on the other pieces in the system, even an "expensive" fuse would be an inexpensive upgrade for all of us.

Martin Logan is actually a very late comer to the electrostatic industry. Soundlab has been in business about twice as long, and Quad of England is the unofficial grandfather of the industry. If you wish to brag on Martin Logan for cosmetics and marketing, you certainly have a right to do so. They do a great job in selling their product. They cannot be credited as a breakthrough in any technology that I am aware of. And, on the issue of performance, all of us that are fans of electrostatic design, have our own heros.