Need Help with Acoustat Model 4 speakers

Newbee, The Acoustat TNT-200 was designed by Acoustat to drive Acoustat speakers. I could not say it is the best amp to drive Acoustats, but I can tell you it out performed my Levinson 23 while driving Acoustats of the same vintage as the OP's Acoustat 4's.

Your comment of your Spectra 2200 needing 200/400 watts to get them off the ground is misleading since Acoustat speakers reach a volume threshold and in reality a good 100 watt tube amplifier would be adequate. Your Spectra 2200 which is half of the OP's speaker most likely would not be able to handle all the TNT-200 has to offer.

After Acoustat was sold Jim Strickland stayed on with Hafler and Rockford Fosgate, which were subsidiaries and his TNT (Trans Nova Twin) amplifier design was pass down to Hafler to rekindle that brand in the marketplace, which it did for a while.

This post is a good example of why Acoustat designed the TNT-200. It was an incrdible bargain when it was new and it's an even better bargain now on the used market.

Rrog, FWIW my post was cautionary and not meant to be more than that. I could elaborate on, and discuss with you, my experience with both the 2200's and the TNT 200 but I won't as it serves no purpose on this thread.

Newbee, On the contrary, your experience is invaluable to the OP and anyone else thinking of buying vintage electrstatic speakers.

I have owned 3 pairs of Acoustat 3's, one pair of 4's, 2 pairs of Model 33's, one pair of Model 3300's. The Acoustats were a 4 ohm speaker that would dip to 2ohms around 14k hertz. No problem. If unplugged, of course there will be no sound output. If unplugged for a few days, they need to be powered on (capacitors charged) at least one full day before they reach their sonic potential (good sound). Of course they will play after charging one hour, just don't expect great sound. I drive them with PASS Labs X250.5 amp (250wpc 8 ohms, 500wpc 4 ohms.

I drive a completely refurbished pair of Spectra 44 with a Coda 100 watts class A amp. High current at 50 A up to peaks of 100 A.

All the electronics are new with V caps, caddock resistors and the rest. The panels have been soaked to remove all particles accumulated over the years.

And they play beautifully, lots of impact at medium level. So the most evident question is : are your interfaces and panels top notch in full potential condition ?