NEXT BIG THING: ELECTROSTATIC SPEAKERS

CAR HI-FI SPEAKERS ARE HEAVY, bulky and wasteful of power. Packaging the speakers in the doors or dash is a headache. So is getting rid of the heat they generate.

- PAUL HORRELL

Now imagine a speaker that isn't a cone, but a simple ultralight thin film. Instead of that heavy cone with its attached magnet vibrating back and forth, the whole film vibrates under electrostatic force that changes at the frequency of the music.

Electrostatic speakers have been a cult among hi-fi boffins for decades, because of their natural uncoloured sound. But they are new in cars.

High end ESL headphone maker Warwick Acoustics has been at the R&D phase for car systems for years, and says it will be offered in a production car this year.