Amp for Martin logan CLS Originals

The original CLS is a solid state amp killer.
Most of the freq impedance curve runs between 16 and 32 ohms.

Just as some amps double their output when the impedance drops (8 - 4 ohms) they will also cut their output in half when the impedance is doubled (8 -16 ohms).

I drove my CLS's with a Classe CA400;
400 watts @ 8 ohms
800 watts @ 4 ohms
1.6k watts @ 2 ohms
and 1 ohm stable

With the CLS's that turns into;
200 watts @ 16 ohms
100 watts @ 32 ohms

When you factor in that the CLS is not the most efficient speaker, maybe actually 82 dB, 100 - 200 watts is not much power.

I could drive the CLS's just so far, then either the speaker or the amp ran out of steam.
The stators were also the newest generation.

A 200 watt tube amp would be a better choice.

I agree with Mrderrick to some extent.
20 years ago my friend Richard had the original CLS's which sounded just sublime driven by Audio Research amps (D115 I think from memory).
I never heard them with solid state amps so can't really help in that direction.

To this day, there are things that the original CLS speakers could do that I've never heard bettered by ANY speakers anywhere.

VTL or Manley monoblocks will drive these wild. I cannot imagine driving this speaker with anything but tubes. They are too revealing and tubes just make them sing. Long interconnects to monoblocks, short speaker wire runs.

Halcro,

"To this day, there are things that the original CLS speakers could do that I've never heard bettered by ANY speakers anywhere."

I could not agree with you more! I dont't believe they are the best speaker in existence, just one of the best. Frequency extremes may be a problem, lower octaves can be supplemented with a lightening fast sub if you can find one that will keep up with the el stats. However, at the price they go in the used market + cost of replacing panels you will be hard pressed to find a better loudspeaker, nothing even comes close in my opinion. CLS overbuilt originals are something special.

I have heard them extensively, driven with a HK Citation XX. This amp is unattainable, for those that do not know about it, it was an amp originally designed for the president of the company in a virtually limitless budget project. only a few had access to it, namely the executives of HK. Oh yeah and it was brought to earth by Dr. Matti Otala the guy that discovered transient intermodulation distortion. Let's keep it simple and just call it audio-un-obtanious. It was rated conservatively @ 250 watt into 8 ohms and drove the speakers absolutely insane. I have heard the same system driven by a pair of 200 watt heavily modified Bogen mono block amps powered by some monster 8714 tubes. It was like heaven on earth..yeah the audience sounded like it was behind me as did the clinking tea cups in Jazz at the pawnshop.

I am no expert, and I know that for some reason 250 watts is different on each amplifier, but I thought an amp like the 200+ watt Macs, Levinson, or Citation 7.1 might drive the CLS. Very interested in hearing from you guys on this, please keep posting.

I have tried a wide variety of solid state amplifiers with the original CLS and none of them came close to the performance of tubes. 100 watt tube monos are ideal. I had great success with Quicksilver, VTL and Audio Research.