I purchased my MC275-IV to drive my 18 y.o. MartinLogan CLSIIz's. Tubes are the ticket for electrostats, and among tube amps, the McIntosh MC275 has a unique power output circuit which makes it even better suited to driving electrostats. Frank McIntosh's famous Unity Coupled Circuit draws power from both sides of the power tube(s), not just from the plate. As a result, the output is current-controlled rather than voltage-controlled as with most tube amps; and electrostats need current.
If you want to drive a conventional speaker with a MC275, it would be good if it had med. to hi. efficiency and ported woofers -- as with all tube amps, the MC275 doesn't have the damping necessary to tightly control sealed acoustic suspension woofers.
The current two models (the IV and the V) put out 90 - 95 watts/channel. McIntosh kept the 275 designation as a gesture to tradition ;-)
If you want to drive a conventional speaker with a MC275, it would be good if it had med. to hi. efficiency and ported woofers -- as with all tube amps, the MC275 doesn't have the damping necessary to tightly control sealed acoustic suspension woofers.
The current two models (the IV and the V) put out 90 - 95 watts/channel. McIntosh kept the 275 designation as a gesture to tradition ;-)