2. speakers
  3. 140104-7527

Speaker type for my Conrad-Johnson ET5/LP70S tube combo

Hi,

I'm thinking of changing from a Dynamic to Electromagnetic or Electrostat speaker. Magnepan most interests me. The CJ combo is paired with Dynaudio Focus 260 box speakers and it's companion Sub 600. It's a nice set up but, as a previous owner of a pair of Magnepan IIIa's for 17 years, it doesn't get the silky mid vocals right like the Maggies. I can't seem to get rid of some of the midrange glare with concern to guitar & vocal even on some of the best recordings. I want to keep the CJ combo but the power amp is rated at 70W @ 4 ohms. I'm not interested in a SS power amp. Is there anyone out there who is pairing a lower output tube amp like mine with Maggies or Electrostats with success including adequate dynamics? Any questions welcomed.


routeman21
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
Consider the Eminent Technology LFT-8b, a hybrid magnetic-planar (180Hz up)/dynamic woofer (180Hz down) loudspeaker that retails for $2499. It doesn't need as much power as Maggies, and is better suited to your power amp, as it is a nominal 8 ohm load. If you decide to bi-amp, the m-p panels themselves (which operate in push-pull fashion, unlike the single-ended MG1.7i Maggies) are an even easier 11 ohm load.
routeman21 OP
110 posts
 

bdp24,

For the time being, I'm not expecting to bi-amp or consider upgrading to a more powerful amp because I want to focus my spending into a pair of speakers only and hopefully make the right choice. I visited the Eminent Tech site and they stated the model you mentioned requires 75W minimum. It doesn't sound like a good match if what they say is accurate. Thanks!

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
routeman21, if your amp isn't enough for the ET's, it REALLY isn't enough for Maggies, which need far more power. Perhaps a pair of ESL's would be better for your amp, though some of them also require or benefit from more than 70 watts.
routeman21 OP
110 posts
 

bdp24,

Do you have much listening experience with ESL's? Do they produce the same or similar mids like the Maggies that I spoke of in my initial post? I never heard them in my large audio room. Only heard them at a friend's house with crappy amp; not that impressed.

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

@routeman21, that’s the thing about ESL’s. They are so transparent, you are listening through them as much as to them. Crappy amp + ESL = crappy sound. Magnetic-planars aren’t quite as transparent as ESL’s, imo, but as both are dipole planars they are similar in many ways. Each has it’s own, unique charms (I own both). It would be great if you could compare a m-p to an ESL, but not many dealers sell both.

The ESL I have "much listening experience with" is the original Quad. Your amp is more than enough for it, in fact far TOO much. It can’t take more than about 15-20 watts before the panels "arc". It is very maximum SPL limited, is missing the bottom octave, and is strictly a 1-person speaker. Other than that they’re great ;-) . Can you live with that? On the other hand, your amp’s power is about right for the later Quads---the 63, 988/989, 2805/2905, etc.

Other ESL’s are more universal speakers, like the Acoustat (long out of production), Martin Logan, Sanders (fantastic, if you have the dough), Sound Lab, and Kingsound. But here’s something you should know about all ESL’s: the impedance they present to the power amp is extremely variable, from less than two ohms in some cases, to as high as 50 ohms. That requires an amp with as low an output impedance as possible, and stable into the highly-capacitive reactive load an ESL presents it with. If your amp’s output impedance is more than about 10 ohms (not uncommon with tube amps), I believe is the figure, though that may be incorrect, it will cause the speaker’s frequency response to vary more than it will with a lower output-impedance amp, causing coloration; the timbre of vocals and instruments will become somewhat unnatural (assuming the recording itself sounds natural). If your amp isn’t "happy" with a capacitive/reactive load, it may become unstable, leading to oscillation. Do some research on your amp to see if it is suitable for use with ESL’s.

More to discover