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Using tube amp with electrostatic speakers.

Moons ago I started similar discussions and thought I had been given enough good advice not to approach the subject again. Here goes anyway. I've used Martin Logan electrostats for well over 30 years with quite a few different amps but have recently switched to a tube amp and dynamic speakers with which I am very satisfied.  It consists of the Cary Rocket 88R amp and Serie Reference 3 speakers. 

My brother was visiting last week and was so impressed with the sound that he decided that he might want to try a tube amp also (probably the same one as mine).  However, he is using a pair of SL3's that I gave him years ago and I'm concerned primarily about the current requirements of the Martin Logans as well as other concerns that I'm not thinking of.  I don't want him spending money on something that may not bring him improved sound so would appreciate more advice to pass on to him.  He currently uses a Rogue Audio SS amp with his SL3 speakers and, to me, it sounds very good. 
jimbreit
erik_squires
16,378 posts
 
Hi @atmasphere

To your own ears be true. :)

Best,

Erik
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,605 posts
 

Ralph, I think that there must be some other reason that ML designs their panels with such a low impedance at 20khz. It’s such a radical design that there must be a sound quality reason for it, don’t you think?  I don't think anyone would think, I'm not going to buy those speakers, they're not hard enough to drive.

How do you feel about McIntosh gear with their amp-specific autoformers?

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,930 posts
 
I'm going to assume the original Quad ESL is not amongst those considered "really not very neutral". That would be quite silly.
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almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Tomcy6, what Ralph is saying that relates to your first question is that the very low impedance at 20 kHz is a byproduct of M-L’s decision to avoid extremely high impedances at low frequencies. The maximum power capability of nearly all solid state amplifiers decreases dramatically as the load impedance increases to high values, and therefore what M-L was trying to avoid was forcing the customer to use much more powerful solid state amplifiers than their designs require. Especially given that most music contains most of its energy in the lower part of the spectrum.

In contrast, depending on the specific design a tube amp will often be able to supply more power into high impedances than into 8 ohms, up to a point, and in any event whatever falloff may occur in its maximum power capability into impedances that are above a certain level (but still within reasonable limits) will almost always be much less than in the case of a solid state amp.

So M-L’s choice of impedance characteristics works in the direction of making their speakers more practical choices for users of solid state amps, since less powerful amps can be used than would otherwise be the case, while making them less friendly to tube amps than would otherwise be the case. While also, to some degree, adversely affecting amplifier sonics in both cases, as Ralph indicated.

Regards,
-- Al

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