Electrostatics and tubes


I am looking to get some new to me speakers,  I've been looking at options and would really like to try a set of planars "electrostatics".  I have read or heard somewhere that as far as speakers go they tend to be inefficient (85 to 89) vs.90+(db) on the Klipsch or Dali's I've been tossing around as a standard speaker option. I guess my question is would I need to worry about any over heating issues. I plan on using plenty of power with a set of VTA, M-125's to power them. I am looking at a lower budget set maybe Martin Logan ESL 9's or Magnepan 2.7i .    Just wondering I would hate to over heat a few hundred dollars worth of tubes if I don't need to.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  don't roast me to bad I cry easy wink  thanks.    

128x128hotrod6871

Electrostats are typically 91-92dB efficient, so you don’t need a ton of power.

’Typically’ is not a term that should be used for electrostats. They’re all different.

The important specification to look for is the impedance curve - not the db sensitivity. Is the curve relatively flat - or is it jagged? Some stats go down to 2 ohms or less - which very few amps can drive - either tube or solid state. Many variables to consider - including room placement, to account for the backwave.

OP: Be sure to do some research first. Many stats have a very narrow sweet spot. When leaving the listening chair, the presentation falls apart if you’re somewhere else in the room. After owning a pair for 5 years - with 2 subwoofers, I was happy to move on.

@russ69 from what I'm reading their speakers aren't really reliable and customer service with this company is severely lacking.

@willywonka Where are you reading that the Final speakrs aren't reliable?  I believe the new M35 comes with a 5 year warranty.  Distribution in the US just started so nobody really has experience with them here.

 

@hotrod6871: The first thing to do is understand that---as @fuzztone told you---Maggies are not electrostatic speakers (and visa versa of course), and the two differ in important ways. What they both are, however, is dipole planar speakers. Dipole as in sound emanating from both the front and rear of the panels, planar as in sound being produced by not dynamic/cone or horn drivers, but by large (with the exception of ESL tweeters like the 3" x 5" ones made by RTR), thin, flat sheets of Mylar. The difference between Maggies (and other planar-magnetic loudspeakers. Magnepan is not alone in making them. See below) and ESL’s is in how the Mylar is set in motion. A google search will explain it all.

If it is Maggies you are considering, you should know that they present a 3-4 ohm load to the power amp, and are very insensitive: 83dB or thereabouts. The load is almost purely resistive, unlike ESL’s, which are in some cases very reactive. The original QUAD ESL is one such case; it presents as low as about 2 ohms up to 50 ohms to the amp, so is highly-amplifier sensitive. The QUAD is not for those new to dipoles, one reason being they are very limited in maximum SPL capability. The speaker is really, really great for "small" music.

But to answer your question, yes, the power needs of Maggies is emormous (I’ve owned three pair in my life, one currently). Depending on the size and sound characteristics of your listening room, and your SPL listening preferences, 125 watts may be marginal (though there are many happy owners of the Maggie/ARC amp combo). Relieving the panels of reproducing low frequencies by adding a sub or two, along with a x/o filter to split the signal at somewhere between 50Hz-100Hz, will greatly reduce the power requirements of the panels.

It might be a wise idea to give a modestly-priced planar-magnetic speaker a try first. Magnepan designed and offers the LRS for exactly that purpose. Spending $6000 on a pair of MG2.7i is to gamble a fair chunk-o-change on liking them enough to keep them. Have you heard any Maggies? How about ESL’s? I would characterize ESL’s as being a little more transparent than Maggies, though the Magnepan ribbon tweeter used in the MG2.7i narrows the gap. A major complain about Maggies is their slight lack of dynamic expression. They also become somewhat opaque at low listening levels.

If you care to consider another planar-magnetic that isn’t as power hungry as Maggies, there is the Eminent Technology LFT-8b, priced at $3200 (including shipping). The LFT-8 has dual binding posts, one for the panels (180Hz up), the other for the 8" dynamic woofer (180Hz down). That makes bi-amping easy: a solid state amp for the woofers, your M-125’s for the panels. The LFT-8 is rated as an 8 ohm load (with about the same sensitivity as Maggies), but the panel itself is an 11 ohm load, which your amps will love.

Here’s a fairly recent review of the ET LFT-8b by Steve Guttenberg:

https://youtu.be/Uc5O5T1UHkE?si=frZqh9SRwmwjJ0MM