Added: Jul 26, 2008

From: timetec

Duration: 7:37

The complete prototype circuit is shown here built on a single PCB. The reflector is made from PVC pipe with a rear mirror. EHT now slightly lower and the gap size has been reduced. Track is 'Hold Me Now' from the Thompson Twins - chosen purely for it's good dynamic range, vocals & clever percussion ! Let me know if would like to see & hear any particular song - see what I can do ;)

Channel: Tech

Tags: arc  audio  eht  electronics  flyback  hi-fi  high  lopt  plasma  singing  speaker  tesla  transformer  tweeter  voltage 

Rating: 4.84 (115 ratings)    Views: 130602' favoriteCount='216    Comments: 118

mavamaarten Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Try a hard piece of Showtek - FTS

YMastersWRC Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - So you mean that this purple plasma creates sound??Shit,its great thing and inventor is smart too!!!

FBRK8R Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Nice work, do you think I could use an MOT to make one of those? Would you mind sending me a circuit diagram

SparkHV Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - No way! MOTs can't be driven at such frequencies as >40kHz which are essential to get good audio quality.

Superdude688 Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - thats some crazy shit right there.its also interesting how it doesnt seem to follow the music at all, and just jumps around seemingly random

timetec Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - The side to side movement of the plasma is simply caused by air disturbances (drafts).. Watch my other video 'DREAM THEATRE - Acid Rain' of you want 100% visual correlation. Or see my TV show clip & watch the presenter blow on the plasma :)

BROKEHEAVEN Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Wow absolutly dream work :)

gruntcore Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - who gives a shit, this is awesome. You can worry about frequencies ranges and covering frequencies if this was a product of the market. But its only a new idea. So embrace its coolness :P

nwimpney Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - I'm definitely interested in a kit. :)

RyuDarragh Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Plasma speaker design has languished in the hidden byways of audio for years because of the technical difficulties (poor electronics when the idea was first suggested), which caused the pundits and critics to pan it. Audiophiles didn't go for it, so it didn't sell. But, plasma speakers *are* a cool idea and timetcs design is first rate.

Kenzofeis Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - He he good point, and a thunderbolt is the exact same thing as this, just a matter of scaling. And in plasma science, it's scalable by ... maybe infinity..

MattCaron92 Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Would it work with one transistor? Could you send me a basic diagram that I could work from?

n2theblue Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Got a pair of electrostatic speakers with the optional subs and can produce 1200 watts rms.Got them in 1982 at a place called audio unlimited. Still work great, turn em on put on a great live cut and sit in the middle of the room, close your eyes and you can hear and feel the musians move on stage. I have never heard better, even better sound than the actual show. They are plasma without the arc of static. 2 charged grids with a polymer plastic in the middle.

3718David3718 Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - What would happen if you touch it?

shinri1 Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Wow, amazing job! Is the radiation pattern essentially cylindrical at higher frequencies? You can actually hear the comb filtering as you move the camera away from the height of the arc. It's impressive that you can get them to work as low as you do. Most of the plasma drivers I've seen over the years in speakers like the Magnat and Acapella work only at higher frequencies.I once heard a French built full range cold plasma speaker called the Tolteque AHL, it was incredibly insensitive.

commennter Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - I would love it if you please played "Do you think you are better off alone" again like in the video of the prototype.

dangr42 Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - hey whats the song on this called? I like it. Especially when it's played by plasma.

cynthia5128 Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Nicely done! Thank-you for posting it. I admire your patience in answering the same questions over and over. I've wanted one of these since I saw it done with a Tesla coil in a museum. Sadly my electronics skills are poor though I do have a good understanding of high voltage physics and I love to muck around with big sparky things. I would love you to let me know when you have a kit ready, so long as it's idiot-proof. Could it be adapted to work with a small Tesla coil? Regards, Cynthia.

HIIMMATTTT Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - shit!is the plasma the one making the noise

Eye4Details Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Once you get it refined the way you want it, I would definitely be interested in a kit.

twocvbloke Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - I'd love to hear Star Trekkin' by The Firm through this plasma arc... :DAnd from an iPaq PDA too, brilliant... :D

SirDewdalot Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - Don't those release toxic ozone or something?

timetec Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - No Ozone produced with a continuous arc - only from a single point EHT source.

SirDewdalot Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - What do these cost?

mathuetax Says:

Jul 26, 2008 - I'd love to hear this used as strictly a tweeter, perhaps above 5-8k. And I have two musical demos to try, one is common, one is not. #1, a first gen CD, Duran Duran 'Save a prayer''83 Rio. This CD is scarily bright but it gives tweeters a good workout. #2 'Time Passing' by David Foster 1988 The Symphony Sessions, it has some very nicely mic'd guitar and piano.I am intrigued about mentions of a kit in later demos, any ETA or idea of cost? Seems like a natural to publicize via MAKE magazine