Best tube int amp match for ML Aerius

Two tube intergrated amps come to mind,one is by Conrad-Johnson,about 45 to 50 wpc,uses EL-34s,and should drive the Aerius,the other is made by Audio Research,has 50 wpc and should definitly drive the Aerius.I tried a C-J MV-52 on a pair of Sequels and they fell short,but figuring that the Aerius are smaller this should be no problem.I feel that C-J and Logans match well with each other,as far as speaker cables try Audioquest or the Granite cables.Good luck

I suggest that you do not limit yourself to an integated amp. By going to separate pre and power amps you will (1) give yourself much more choice in the matter and (2) give yourself more flexibility in developing your system down the road. There a lot of very, very good moderately powered tube amps that come up for sale. These also happen to be the best bang for the buck and have more than enough power to drive your speakers. (Great deals can be had on used high quality pre's, too.) You are on the right track, as Logans dig tubes. You should make the rounds and listen to different products just to get a reference point. It's hard to buy based on other folks recommendations if you haven't had a chance to listen to what each manufacturer's products sound like -- and they do sound different. (Check out some of the lively debate on this site.) You should have no problem finding dealers currently selling ARC, CJ, Sonic Fronters, VAC, etc. Good luck.

I have owned separates in the past (VAC and AR components). It's been a while since I been up to date on audio gear. I just don't want to fall into the cycle of upgrading and changing too many components. My goal is simplicity.

Got it, Jerry. I think that ARC tube equipment would be a nice match. I have CLS' and came close to buying a VT100, which was quite nice in my system. The older ARC stuff is more a pure tube design than the newer equipment. I really liked VAC equipment with ML panels and spent time with VAC PA160's. Aside from the usual suspects, which you appear to be well acquainted with, the Mesa Tigris integrated might be worth checking out. I've seen good reviews -- might be a sleeper. I'm going to experiment with the Alpha Core Goertz cables and IC's. These are said to work very well with electrostatics -- several very strong recommendations from ML owners. Really reasonable prices. I have had good all around results with Audioquest -- Lapis IC's and Midnight speaker cables -- looking for more revealing stuff now. I have heard that Transparent products are nice with ML's, too. Best of luck.

I have Aerius-i speakers and have tried many amps. I ran a Proceed ampr 2 for three years. It was very dynamic but I was looking for more sweetness. I have a BAT CD player and a Audio Research LS-16 preamp. I initially tried the Anthem tube amp and also the VTL st-85. After being use to the power of the Proceed, I did not think the small tube amps had enough power. I have settled on a VTL st-150. What a difference. The sound is now beautiful and sweet, never harsh. The bass is not as clean but thats the trade off. I do not beleive that anything under 100 watts makes sense with the Aerius i, and I have owned them for three years. By the way I run all transparent super cables. Good luck