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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
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

Erik, Music Reference’s phone number is still the Santa Barbara one (805)687-2236, which will go to Roger’s voice mail. His email address is musref.roger@gmail.com. Wish I could join you! I miss the Bay Area, having grown up in Cupertino/San Jose, coming into San Francisco for gigs, and to go to The Fillmore and Tower Records. Very expensive to live there now! Is Village Records in Mill Valley still around? Used to be a great store for Roots Music.

Roger has opened an Audio Engineering school in Oakland (I believe, though it may be Berkeley), wanting to pass on his electronic expertise to younger designers and audiophiles. The Music Reference model (with prices) page on the website lists the ESL speakers, and a bunch of new, low-power amps. OTL’s, Single Ended, etc. Roger is a really creative and knowledgeable tube amp designer.

tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,587 posts
 

Thanks for the replies, guys, very helpful stuff.

Ralph, I’d still like to get your opinion on McIntosh amps with autoformers. Just in general, do you think they are a good sounding amp compared with other amps in their price ranges? Do they implement their autoformers well? Would they be a good choice for driving speakers with difficult impedance loads?  Theoretically, of course.  We all know that good sound depends on many factors in a given system.


surfer102
1 posts
 
Love my leak stereo 20 with my quad 63 using audio research pre. 
Then with my very efficient avant-garde garde duo omegas the transcendent minibeast otls as mono blocks with transcendent ground grid ore amp was mighty fine. 
moofoo
291 posts
 
I power my ML Electromotion ESLs with a Primaluna Dialogue Premium power amp (not the HP model) with KT-150 tubes (24 watts triode mode and 48w ultralinear) and it sounds great and I prefer triode mode. I also use the same amp to drive a pair of Spendor S2/3s (8ohm) and they sound great too. I don't care much about the tech specs, i just try the different ohm taps on the amp and whatever sounds best with the rest of my system is what I use. Sound is full, robust, detailed, natural, and I often get goosebumps. For me it is all about the music, but I like learning about the equipment, to a certain extent!! Lol. Interesting discussion, thank you!

wspohn's avatar
wspohn
603 posts
 
One data point.

I use Martin Logan CLS (original) in one system and although I have auditioned tube amps with them, I have found that solid state amps with good power supplies work by far the best.  Mine are run with a stereo Classe DR3 VHC (a whopping 45 watts).

Not saying that the magic tube amp isn't out there, just that I haven't found it.
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