Best power amp for Quad 63


I have read a few discussions about powering the 63s but I am sure that in 2022 there are more options.

Currently I am using an upgraded Conrad Johnson PV11 and a lp70 power amp.  This combination is very good but a little too warm for me. I would like to hear more upper partials (frequencies) and bottom punch.

I am partial to Class A SS amps and looking at the used market.  Probably need to stay under 3K.because I will need to sell my lp70.  I am looking at the following pieces:

SPECTRAL DMA 90

MARK LEVINSON ML2, 23, or 432

KRELL KAV 250S

Plinius 

Esoteric F-03A 

Accuphase E- 530

Thanks in advance.

fortepiano50

Showing 1 response by atmasphere

The advantage of an OTL on this speaker is due to the very high impedance the speaker has in the bass. This peak is not due to resonance. Solid state amps will throttle back their power into this impedance and so getting the speaker to play bass with solid state is problematic.

OTLs OTOH can make power easily into this higher impedance, which works well with the electrostatic characteristic. A lot of our customers have commented that with our amps they don't need subs to make convincing bass.

ESLs in general do not obey the same design rules that box speakers do. Most box speakers are designed around the idea of being 'voltage driven' which is to say that the amp driving them can act as a 'voltage source'; being able to make the same voltage regardless of the load impedance. ESLs work better with an amp that makes constant power with respect to load impedance. For that you need a tube amp with no feedback so its output impedance is high enough for this to occur (you can also do this if voltage and current feedback in the amplifier are done in equal amounts, but this is very rare in amplifiers!).

For more on this topic see:

http://www.atma-sphere.com/en/resources-paradigms-in-amplifier-design.html