Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!lll-winken!quintro!bpdsun1!rmf From: rmf@bpdsun1.uucp (Rob Finley) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Plasma speakers (was Re: homemade welder) Message-ID: <1990Oct18.142427.23255@bpdsun1.uucp> Date: 18 Oct 90 14:24:27 GMT References: <7203.2719ec15@jetson.uh.edu> <2142@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> Reply-To: rmf@bpdsun1.UUCP (Rob Finley) Organization: Harris Broadcast Div., Quincy, IL Lines: 26 In article <2142@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> bwhite@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Bill White) writes: >In article <7203.2719ec15@jetson.uh.edu> rcte2q@jetson.uh.edu writes: >>As the cut was >>being made, the test tone could be clearly heard emanating from the plasma. > > I seem to recall reading or hearing about a beast called a "plasma >speaker" - which used some form of a gas plasma (I think argon) to produce >high-quality sound. I guess it even went to market, but was too high >priced and too bulky (you had to have a tank of argon to make it work) >for most people. Is this just another urban myth? Nope. It was real. The system could use environmental air but would generate ozone as a result. In the Audio magazine article, the inventor would get asthma attacks near any electrostatic device (I.E. photocopiers) after demonstrating it for the CES convention. It did sound great but needed subwoofers (conventional) to make up the low-end. If I ever run across the article again... ----- "Lets go kick some Earthling butt!" -- Spaced Invaders quintro!bpdsun1!rmf@lll-winken.llnl.gov uunet!tiamat!quintro!bpdsun1!rmf