tube amps and electrostatics

Just the Quad ESL57 impedance curve, my ML's and Acousats are even worse when I measured their impedances.
http://www.quadesl.com/quad_main.html
and add to this the highly capacitive nature of ESL's, and you can see why Roger Sander says Solid State is better than Tube or OTL Tube for ESL's

The only tube amp which is great match and is not worried by these impedance drops is High Volatge direct drive tube amps (up to 5000v at the speaker terminals). For ESL's like the oringinal Acoustat X. But these are difficult and hard and make safe. As you can imagine.

Cheers George

There's no question that when driving the many ESL's that have impedances descending from high values at low frequencies to very low values at upper treble frequencies nearly all solid state amps will provide an increased emphasis of the upper treble in comparison to nearly all tube amps (assuming the amps being compared are operated within the limits of their voltage, current, power, and thermal capabilities).

Which of those two kinds of amplifier/speaker interactions results in the most correct acoustic output from the speaker is a separate question, however.

Regards,
-- Al

I think Al got it right again, as usual. :-)

No he didn't he, used the word "increased emphasis" where he should have used the word "linear", as in flat in regard to frequency response.

Cheers George

Anyone ever heard a decent Icepower amp running newer Quad ESLs? That's something I would like to hear.

When I was auditioning for new speakers a few years back, the Quad ESL demo I got at a local dealer hit the bullseye for the sound I wanted, running of CJ amp gear, save for the punch in the bass not being up to snuff with the best I had heard. I tend to think as that as always the main problem with Quad ESLs at least from what I have read and heard with most any amp out there. The rest is more shades of grey amp to amp.

Increased emphasis for a SS amp versus tube in general sounds right to me. The FR with the SS may well be flatter as well, if not perfectly flat.

HEy but then there there is the old nasty odd order harmonics that muck with our ears due to NF issue with the SS amp for sure.

There may be no single right answer, at least on paper. Only our flawed ears know what they hear for sure always.