ESL questions

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Most ESL I've read about are usually big sized.
Why are they so big? Is it because they are low SPL type, so that in larger forms they then begin to equal regular cone speakers in SPL?
Decreasing in size, what size will begin to be too small?

For instance:
I thought about using 20" square pieces of ceramic tiles for the frame. I'd cut out the center 16" square and use the 2" outer piece for the frame. Ceramic tile would not be prone to warping, as most other materials are. But, is an overall size of 16" square enough for ESL?
Other materials begin to warp after a while. Wood, fiberglass, cutting board like plastics, I have seen them all warping badly.
Unless warping initializes some wanted very exotic sounding properties to the ESL panels, I'd like to avoid weaker materials for the frame.

The only possible other material I have thought about is slab marble or granite. I would probably need 1" thickness for stability, so costs begin to add up from the get go.

Thanks all,
GH
 
There big beacause they have to be to get some usable low frequencies out of them because alot of the bass is lost from not using a box

If you used 3 of 4 of those tiles you could get a response to something like 40-50 hz i think.

You must create enough space between the foil and stator (?)
to go down this low though.

Be aware though that you will get beaming of the higher frequencies if you dont dedicate a section to the higher frequencies.
 
You might consider a steel frame, wrapped in wood if you prefer the aesthetics. Also, for what it's worth, I built some large ESL panels supported by a 3/4" thick plywood frame which is biscuit-joined to vertical maple pieces that are about 3" or 4" front-to-back. They've been playing for several years now without signs of trouble. In practice, the warping issue may not be as problematic as you're expecting.
 
Hi again,
I have read in a small ESL forum on Delphiforums, that stators need coated.
I was planning on shiny stainless or blued carbon steel without coating.
What is the proper method? And what reasons, other than safety?

I have not started my ESL panels. I have some big pieces of near 1/2" thick fiberglass to cut frames out of.

:confused:

Thanks all,
Greg
 
u don't really have to coat the startors when building and ESL
it just gives a better clean look

i'd use just a tiny coat of epoxy primer + color of my choice as the coating on the stators for rustproffing and looks..

ESLs can be made much smaller than what people are doing right now..most of them only think they can manage an ESL
that goes as low as 30 -70hz without problems

but ESL aren't efficient at the point, and no normal amplifier
willl give you the power u'll need to get good SPL at anything lower than 50hz, since u will need high D/S spacing, and higher voltage all around ..

smaller spacing will give you higher sensitivity,
but will limit maximum SPL of the system

as always, i humby think that ESL are just another compromise,
but it may just be the best mid/high compromise u can choose from !!!

that's what i'm building for my listening roomn neway!

smallish ESL, probably ~ 15" wide by 30-40" long

should be Xoed are approx 300hz

and i should use a wooden frame all around + wings in the back
to get enough baffle width for sustayning 300hz+

the lower range will be covered by a dipole W or such sub layout

BTW, u can use some double sided foam tape as spacer, instead of working with lexan and all that stuff

it makes the building time alot < , and it works jsut as good!
 
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