What is an electrostatic sound system?
OK, so a little audio equipment physics lesson first. A traditional stereo speaker uses a cone, which is literally cone-shaped, and which vibrates when you feed it the electrical signal from a sound source. Those vibrations generate sound which, of course, our ears can hear. Now, an electrostatic system does away with the big cone, and the (heavy) electromagnetic wiring that a cone needs, and instead uses static electricity to vibrate a thin membrane. This ultra-light membrane sits between two perforated metallic plates. A high-voltage electric charge is established on the membrane, while the audio signal is simultaneously applied across the two metallic plates. The movement of the membrane under the changes in electric field strength delivers very precise waves of sound.
Do electrostatic speakers sound better?
Apparently so. According to the experts at Range Rover and Warwick Acoustics: “The ultra-light electrostatic membrane responds to the audio signal with a speed and accuracy a thousand times greater than a conventional speaker cone, preserving subtle harmonics, and attack and decay characteristics that give instruments and voices their natural character. Listeners frequently describe the experience as hearing familiar recordings as if for the first time.”
What difference do electrostatic speakers make in a car?
It’s to do with the shape of the sound. In a conventional stereo, even a nice one in a Range Rover, the sound that’s generated by traditional cone-type speakers radiates out in a spherical shape, which makes us perceive that the sound is being produced close to our ears. By contrast, the Warwick Acoustics and Range Rover electrostatic membrane speakers produce flatter, or ‘planar’, sound waves, which makes our ears think that the sound is coming from further away.
Why would you want that?
It’s about immersion. If we feel that the sound is coming from close by, it’s obvious that it’s coming from a speaker in the car’s door. If the sound feels as if it’s coming from further away, Range Rover says that makes it feel as if the whole car is immersed in the sound, as if it was coming from up to 30 metres away. It is, claims Range Rover, “comparable to moving from a standard-definition television to 8K TV. The step change in experience is immediately apparent, even to those with no prior knowledge of the technology.”
Which Range Rover gets Electrostatic Sound?
It’s in the Range Rover SV, which is currently the most exclusive model that Range Rover offers. The cabin gets 21 electrostatic panels, housing 55 individual sound radiators. They’re placed all around the cabin, including in the headlining, headrests and seat backs, so passengers in the front and the back are surrounded by sound.
Related: all our Range Rover reviews
Gary Waters, CEO of Warwick Acoustics, said: “This launch is pivotal for both Warwick Acoustics and, we believe, for the automotive industry as a whole. We have played a key role in helping to create an experience that is so perfectly transparent and real, that listeners are transported to the artist’s recording studio or theatre, experiencing all the power, detail, and emotion of a live performance. During the development process I have seen a lot of people experience the Range Rover SV Electrostatic Sound for the first time and their feedback has been outstanding. In every case, the response to the realism of the experience has been dramatic. It is so satisfying to see the emotional response that this system engenders when it is reproducing an outstanding music performance.”
Is the Range Rover Electrostatic Sound system eco-friendly?
Yes, this is also a very environmentally friendly stereo. According to Range Rover and Warwick Acoustics, the electrostatic speakers, which have taken five years of “intensive collaboration” to develop, are up to 90 per cent lighter than an equivalent speaker, consume 90 per cent less energy, contain no rare earth elements and are 100 per cent recyclable.
Time to break out the old Springsteen album collection then…
You do that. I’ll go find my Debussy CDs.
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