Would switching amps make a big difference?

Most speakers are designed to approach a flat voltage response, not power, and amps to be a voltage source.

Agreed, but of course "most" doesn't mean "all."  It just means a majority.

If the source impedance of the amp is rather high (tubes) then there will be an HF roll off. The performance of a solid state amp might sound subjectively brighter but that’s not because it’s tilting up the highs, but because it’s not rolling them off.

The implication of this statement seems to be that in the case of electrostatic speakers, which are what the thread is addressing, that the tonal balance which results when a solid state amplifier is used is necessarily more correct than the tonal balance that would result with a tube amplifier.  If that is what you are saying I and I believe many others would disagree.  It's worth noting, for example, that the Quad ESL-57, which is revered to this day by many audiophiles, was designed before solid state amplification existed.

Regards,
-- Al
  

cdc2 OP

A strong solid state amp is always a good idea to try with ESLs

This is good advise, get the right amp that can handle Martin Logan Ethos sub 1ohm loads and -phase angles with current and stability.

Stay away from expensive "band aid" fixes like autoformers, save your money and get the right amp for the job instead, your Logans will reward you if you do.

The performance of a solid state amp might sound subjectively brighter but that’s not because it’s tilting up the highs, but because it’s not rolling them off.

I’ve owned many ELS’s this is so true with all Martin Logans, with the right solid state amps that’s stable and that can drive into that sub 1ohm load, you will get the highs that are "there" at the correct intensity and extended, not muted and rolled off.

Cheers George

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The performance of a solid state amp might sound subjectively brighter but that’s not because it’s tilting up the highs, but because it’s not rolling them off. A speaker designer who designed a speaker with a highly variable impedance AND tuned it for a flat power response would be an idiot.

@rwortman:
On an ESL sold state is going to sound bright on two accounts- first it is indeed tilting up the highs because of simple physics: as a voltage source it will attempt to double power as impedance is halved, and since ESLs have decreasing impedance as frequency goes up, there are your tilted highs. This simple fact is inescapable. Google the impedance curve of any ESL and you will see what I mean.

The second reason is low level higher ordered harmonic distortion, which causes solid state amps to be bright to begin with and this is why tubes are still around 60 years after being declared ’obsolete’.


I would be hesitant to call speaker designers who

designed a speaker with a highly variable impedance AND tuned it for a flat power response would be an idiot.

an idiot.

Some of them are quite brilliant, and like the way tubes sound. You might also consider that before about 1956 or so, all speakers were driven by flat power response as that was the only game in town.