A droplet generator and ink jet printhead assembly employing the droplet generator are disclosed. The assembly includes nozzle (12) having orifice (15), liquid reservoir or supply (16) for containing a liquid (30) to be emitted from nozzle (12) and non-resonant elastically deformable fluid conduit (18) for conveying liquid (30) from liquid reservoir (16) to nozzle (12). Transducer (20) is disposed in an abutting relation with fluid conduit (18) a predetermined distance(s) from the nozzle (12). Transducer (20) is energized by a suitable electrical signal, such as a sinusoidal signal. Transducer (20) causes compression of conduit (18) and provides a wave which propagates along fluid conduit (18) and fluid (30) contained therein toward nozzle (12) and orifice (15). This wave acts to perturb the stream formed at orifice (15) and to initiate the break-up of the stream into droplets. The utilization of an elastically deformable non-resonant conduit (18) between transducer (20) and nozzle (12) mechanically decouples nozzle (12) from the remainder of the printhead assembly and provides filtering of undesired frequencies which might otherwise be imparted to fluid (30) and nozzle (12).