Amps for ESL

Dru,

For what it's worth, I had M.L. reQuests with a Classe CA301. I "auditioned" an InnerSound ESL amp (check the various reviews on the ESL) and in my case -- no comparision, the ESL "killed" the Classe in all areas.

I would strongly recommend you audition an ESL amp before buying anything else. And, some icing on the cake, it's very affordable, should be able to pick one up for around $1600. used. 300 watts per channel, but more important, has TONS of VOLTAGE -- paramont for driving electrostats.

Another great amp with 'stats (and any speaker) is the Spectron Musician II, again, very affordable @ under $2k.

(Also, be sure to check other threads on this topic.)

Good luck!

Hello Milk&juice,

Although I presently own and peddle another brand of electrostat, I've also owned several pairs of Quads (though not the 988's).

Of the two amps you mention, I'd suggest the Classe'. I try to kinda specialize in amps that work well with electrostats, and among others I'm a dealer for the InnerSound amps that Denf mentions. If you find a used InnerSound for $1600, jump all over it!

The Spectron is a very nicely voiced amplifier and very enjoyable, but in my experience amps with digital switching power supplies don't have quite the liveliness of amps with a nice big conventional power supply. They seem to play plenty loud but don't quite have the impact and dynamic contrast (this is easier to discern when you listen from a room away than when you're in the sweet spot). I mention this because, if there is one area where our beloved electrostats could use a little help, it's in dynamic contrast. That being said I have not heard the latest incarnation of the Spectron, so this generalization may not apply.

You said that you were looking for "something different" to drive your Quads with. Have you considered an OTL tube amp, or do you want to stick with solid state? If OTL's are in the running, then I might have a rather "different" suggestion or two...

Best of luck to you!

Duke

I haven't heard the Classe 301. I have heard wonderful things about Classe and Innersound amps in general with stats. Have you considered Quad's own amps or Odyssey or Spectral. My experience with driving stat panels is that the amps need to be extremely stable. Some of the amps with switching power supplies just don't have the juice to play at anything but moderate levels.

I have Innersound ISIS, hybrid speakers. Couldn't afford their amp so went with a much less expensive alternative. Parasound HCA 1500, plenty of power & current, but I do consider it the weakest point of my system. I'm currently looking at tube amps (Music Reference, VTL and ARC). If I could have afforded the innersound amp I would have gotten it, and if I could afford their tube amp I would go that way also.

Good luck

I'm using my YBA Integre 50 watts integrated amp and can crank it up at very high volume and with very good result. If you have some sweet sounding integrated amp, try it. you might be surprise like I did.