Electrostat - M-L; Quad or Soundlab - reliable

Quad 2905.

They do act as electrostatic air filters so most need cleaning from time to time but are reliable. I would say soundlabs are the better stats. Ask Duke for a demo hes a great guy to deal with.

Innersound EROS and ISIS are have been in our system for a couple of years with no problems whatsoever other than blowing a few amplifiers.

I think its simple. If you want to own stats, its most like owning tubes. The stats by nature have a life expectancy (as to capacitors in your amps, tubes in your equipment, sorrounds in some drivers). If you know you have a product that has a component that has a life expectancy and that part fails at the expected life cycle, that is not a reliability issue. That is maintenance. You know your tires on your car are good for only so many miles. As your tires wear (beyond a certain level) their performance levels drop. I think this is also true of both stats and tubes.

Ckoffend, nice analogy, and true. The short answer, don't be lazy...vacuum your speakers and cut down on maintenance by keeping them unplugged and covered from airborne particles when not in use. That's how I treat my CLSiiz's.