Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer, especially an electrostatic speaker embodying a conductive perforated backing plate, a dielectric membrane carrying a conductive coating, and an intervening spacing layer formed of acoustically porous or transparent dielectric material having substantially uniformly and widely distributed local areas of contact with the membrane. A speaker frame is provided in which the perforated plate is mounted and the speaker preferably comprises a pair of membranes, spaced at opposite faces of the perforated plate, the membranes being adhesively secured to the frame. The membrane coating is also interrupted to provide electrically separated areas proportioned respectively to efficiently generate sound waves of different frequencies. A special form of speaker system is also provided incorporating both an electrostatic speaker and a dynamic speaker.