Can a pair of BAT Rex II (Tube) mono block amplifiers make the Martin Logan Neoliths sing?

It would be for me but your concert level remark would have me concerned. 160 watts runs out pretty quick if you are pushing it. 

Go for it. I have had several pairs of ML speakers over the years. I was powering them with a pair of Krell monos and I didn’t know what I was missing until I borrowed a Cary Audio 120 amp which simply destroyed the Krells. One of my buddies was there when I first hooked up the amp and he couldn’t believe the difference. He ended up purchasing the amp which he still has and I went with a pair of the Cary monos. Neither the 120 or the monos ever ran out of steam no matter what type of music I played. The panels would always reach a point where you could turn up the volume but they wouldn’t get any louder well before the amps reached their limits.

ML states that the Neoliths are 90 db efficient at 4 ohms so you should have more than enough headroom unless you are playing them in a huge room. Also, does the woofer section have its own amplifier like other ML speakers? If so you are only powering the panels. If they aren’t self powered I still think you will have more than enough juice with the Bats. If Neos don’t have built in amplification for the woofer section you could try using your Krells for the bass where they do excel and the Bats for the panels and get the best of solid state and tubes.

Good luck with your system which I would love to hear.

Thank you for your insights!

1. which was the largest model ML speakers did you have?

2. which model Cary mono block amps did you have? Watts?

Martin Logan Summits we’re the best I had but not the biggest. Prior to the Summit s I had a ML speaker with 12 inch woofers but I cannot remember the model number. The woofers did not mesh well with the panels in my opinion so I sold them and got the Summit’s.

My first Cary Audio amps were the Anniversary Edition which I traded in for a pair of their Founders Edition amps which I am currently using. The 211AE ran 70 watts class A and 110watts A-2 and the FE is 70 watts again in class A, 110 watts AB2 and 150 class B.

"BAT) Rex II mono blocks at 160w be powerful enough to make the Martin Logan Neoliths (30w - 1300w) sing?"

Good luck getting out of your seat , once there set up,

Heard them thru a couple different amps  including near equal power tube amps. 

Currently listening to some entry level Theos thru a 70 watt tube amp, which convinced me BIG ESL's are in my future.

Enjoy.

Thanks Irwin!  The Summits have a 200w powered built in amp, so it won't be comparable. The Neoliths have no built in amp.  Your first speaker probably didn't have amp, so it would be a better comparison.

Tablejockey, When you heard the Neoliths through couple of near equal power tube amps, how loud was the volume? How large was the room?  I listen at volumes where my daughter has to put on head phones two rooms over and my wife will tell me to turn them down if she's home. I'm guessing my soft is 60-80 decibels and my concert level is 100+ decipels. I also have a 20' x 30' room that is open to the kitchen, then hallway then the rest of the house with no doors.

milt808-

my experiences hearing the Neolith were in a showroom and private home both not far off in dimensions.

Can't give more details other than both were able to demonstrate just how LOUD  and competent  they can play-simply impractical and UNHEALTHY to preserving ones hearing long term. Impressive, but I prefer that level of loud from the real thing-with earplugs.

All I can tell you is they are in the "higher fi" category as far as  performance goes.-same for the BAT gear-congrats on being fortunate to consider the combination.

We are krell dealers theonos are stunning you can warm them up with a good tube preamp and a good front end

Please contact us we can give you some guidance 

DAVE AND TROY

audio Intellect nj

Krell dealers 

Dear  @milt808  : " a warmer sound with more harmonics. "

First the harmonics are developed by the recording source we are listening it and those harmonics have changes through all the signal path where that signal must travels in our room/system till goes in our ears/brain/body. A good room treatment and fine tunning the subwoofers SPLs can help for that warmer sound  you are looking for that again depends on the signal source. The issue is not about tube amplifier because your speakers impedance at a critical 20khz frequency is down to 0.43 ohms and I don't know yet a tube amp that can handled with applomb that speaker impedance.

In my opinion this is the amp for your system and I think you can't go wrong with:

https://parasound.com/jc1+.php

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

Thanks everyone for all your feedback!

I went for it and they are in shipping. I was told I can horizontal passive bi-amp with the BAT tubes running the panel and the Krell solid state running the 2 woofers.  If the volumes don't match, then I'll need to find a output controller between the pre-amp and the amps.

I'll let you know the outcome...