I too can agree that some ribbons (not all) are hot in the treble, but that is a generalization.
I've also owned and have heard many different electrostatic speakers from Quad, Acoustat, Audio Static, King Sound, Sound Lab, Infinity, and InnerSound.
There are a lot of different tweeters in both groups and all have different response and dispersion characteristics, so generally I feel it is pointless to make broad generalizations and better to compare specific brands and models.
But I will add that many electrostatics use wide-diaphragm tweeters, which by design, have time smear in the highs due to the diaphragms being physically much wider than the short wave-lengths they are emitting. Most ribbon tweeters are rather narrow and thus do not suffer from this type of distortion.
I've also owned and have heard many different electrostatic speakers from Quad, Acoustat, Audio Static, King Sound, Sound Lab, Infinity, and InnerSound.
There are a lot of different tweeters in both groups and all have different response and dispersion characteristics, so generally I feel it is pointless to make broad generalizations and better to compare specific brands and models.
But I will add that many electrostatics use wide-diaphragm tweeters, which by design, have time smear in the highs due to the diaphragms being physically much wider than the short wave-lengths they are emitting. Most ribbon tweeters are rather narrow and thus do not suffer from this type of distortion.