barth@au-bon-pain.lcs.mit.edu (Paul Barth) (06/18/91)
A couple decades ago I read about a company producing ion speakers. Basically, they modulated an ionized gas (helium) with an EM field. Not a great design, the consumer was required to supply the helium---after shelling out 10k a pair. The design still seems attractive: less distortion because you're modulating the air directly, rather than some transducer with resonance (and other) problems. Has anyone heard of this recently (with, hopefully, newer technology)? Paul Barth p.s. imagine the ozone from these! ;-) [You're thinking of the Hill Plasmatronics. 5 gas jets for the tweeters, regular cone mid and woofer. Huge. You had to set the bias on each tube controlling each jet. The top end was wonderful, but a lot of times the bottom just couldn't keep up. Newer woofer technology would help. -tjk]