Best amplifier for CLX

Bvdiman
C3800 Marantz Pre??

If you mean this, it may have been ok in it's day but to partner it with the stuff we are talking about here and these CLX speakers, it's way out of it's league.
The poor little signal from the source that he has would have to go through a gazillion dirty old contacts switches and sliders, no wonder he may have glare in the upper frequencies, not to mention old caps and out of spec components that would be in this old thing.
If you can read circuit diagrams (linked) just have a look at the crap the cdp signal has to go through before it gets to the output, not on with this hiend gear we are talking about.
This may well be the glare source that the OP is talking about.

To download the file, please go half way down the page.
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/download.php?fileid=48440

Pictures of them here, copy and paste to your address bar
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=marantz+3800+preamp&sa=X&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=E6auUunJOYfTkwW7tICgBg&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=871

Cheers George

"What amp are you currently using--Andrew?"

Andrew, I use ME amplification, an Australian brand big on current and it's delivery, and highly biased into class A. They're used with my own Lightspeed Attenuator a passive preamp and a highly modded PCM1704K based CD player.

Here is a link, but you have to type it into the address bar for some reason, not copy and paste?

Photo:
http://www.me-au.com/ME_1500_data_1.jpg

Specs:
http://www.me-au.com/ME_1500_data_2.jpg

Cheers George

Bvdiman: Soulution700

Yum these will drive the 1ohm loads of the CLX's nicely, just looked at these doubling wattage for each halving of impedance even down to 2ohm, means good current drive.
At idle consumes 200w each, means a good amount of Class A bias.
96kg each, has the power supply to back up the current it gives.
The only thing I don't like is the 3.7kohm input impedance, means it should be used with ss pre's only that have at a guess no more than 50ohm output impedance, eg: Krells or probably their own.
Or better still driven direct by a CDP or DAC with <50ohms output impedance that has volume controlability and forget about the preamps, as it is just 1.5v sensitivity for full output, and all CDP/DAC are over 2v these days.

Cheers George

I would still back going direct into the amps over the Accuphase pre, so long as the cdp/dac has digital domain volume and it's being use in the top 30% of it's range so as not to do any "Bit Striping"

Cheers George

Awsmone0, I also own a pair of ML Monoliths that have the latest vapour deposited aluminium coatings as your CLX's have.
If you have a good front end cdp go direct if you have volume on the cdp or dac, it maybe your pre that's causing the glare.
As I use big SS amps that have masses of current and my highs and mid are very detailed dynamic transparent and sweet. Your glare as you say you have is elsewhere in the system if you have good SS amps.

Cheers George

I also suggest your read here, the Martin Logan owners forum, as most recommend the Magtech or similar solid state amps for the CLX's.

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?1-Main-Menu

Here is a thread that compares many amps on the CLX's the tube ones loose out with restricted dynamics (Prima Luna) and rolled off highs (ARC VT100 and MacIntosh 275) because of the 1ohm load the CLX's represent. The Pass Labs were liked as were the ModWright and MBL SS amps.

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?11965-Let-the-amp-war-begin!

Cheers George

Awsmone0, I strongly suggest you read this white paper from Roger Sanders, of ESL design fame, before you make any decisions.
As some amps will turn into a virtual fixed tone control and not stay flat in frequency response from 20hz -20khz with the impedance loads that ESL's can give that can go from 60ohms down to 1ohm.

http://sanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/172-tubes-vs-transistors

Cheers George