I have not heard esl's with the CJ, but the ARC did an excellent job with my esl's. I ultimately went with another amp (Mesa Baron) because of it's flexibility and the fact that I was able to trade other equipment, parting with less cash. I would have been very satisfied with the ARC. It's a very fine amp in every respect. Prices seem to be attractive right now, maybe because the MkIII has come to market.
