Martin Logan Prodigy with Sonic Frontiers Power

Wow, thanks for the input. So it look like the Krell is the best match up. Does anyone know if this has been the "known" consensus and if ML suggests them as well? Also, do my symptoms point to the amp (from your experience) or are these comments general suggestions that more power than the 110W/ch tube that I am running would be good.

It would be a bummer to get a new amp and still have the same issues if the amp was not the culprit. :)

man.....so much great info here. Thanks gents. I am open to bi-amping but would be curious if those who know would prefer a couple of Mono Block Tube amps (SF Power 3s) over keeping the Power 2 for the panels and running SS to the base. (suggestions on a comparable SS amp to my SF P2 would be appreciated, 100w/ch).

BTW, I called ML on Friday... they said the 110W/ch Tube power should be plenty to for these...but that the hell do they know. :) LOL

-Shawn

ok.... so I received my mono amps yesterday, Krell 300Ms. These are 350W/ch into 8 ohms and 700 into 4 ohms. Prodigies are rated at 4 ohms so I was expecting to hear some huge differences between the tubes at 110W into 4 ohms and the solid state at 700W. Not only in volume but also accuracy and dynamics.

And my ears said.... oh man! Maybe I am not the tube purist that I was hoping to be. :) The Prodigies came alive as if I upgraded speakers. I can now hear much more of the music and they sound like, what i think, the engineers intended them to sound like.

As for sound differences, yes, the tubes do have a smoother sound but now the bottom end is really accurate and tight. As a bass enthusiast, I kinda like this better. The problem I did find was that some of the top end got a little bright for me but then again I was playing a CD and not vinyl, which my ears are more comfortable with.

I have a pair of Power 3s coming so to audition in comparison to the large power of the Krells... Let's see if more tube power will give me the same effect on the bottom end and smooth out the the top. If not, I will be fully happy running these Krells.

Thanks for all the help and advice gents!

NAK8

What a project this has been. So much great feedback from the forum and suggestions from industry.

Most was surely suggesting that I go to very large amps and that SS amps really make these sing. Allot of folks also suggested that tubes are surely the way to go with electrostatics but they lack base...uhhhh the delema.

I first moved to the KRELL 300M mono with good success in improving the overall volume and bass of the speakers. But, they did not give me the romantic sound I was used to. They were accurate but almost too accurate and thus sound analytical.

The SF Power 3s just did not have the drive nor grunt to give them what the Krells did. They were a on the weak side of "come listen to me for hours and hours". :)

So, let's see...I started with a 110W/ch Tube amp, went to 700W/ch SS, and then to 220W/ch tube again. None did it for me so I was about to sell it all and go back to dynamic speakers with a tube amps that I was used to. Then, I was approached by someone who wanted my Krells and wanted to trade me for other amps....with a wapping 50W/ch...ha ha...silly, no? How can my huge Martin Logan Prodigies that are hybrids possibly be driven by what was contrary to "you need much more power" to drive those speakers.

Wholly molly, I have never heard these speakers sound so good!!!! Now I know what the Electrostatic buffs mean about smooth, transparent, and coherency. Not to say I am never going back to box speakers but they will have to be pretty good to compete with these Prodigies.

So, what amps did I go to? Cary 805 AEs. 50Watts of nectar! Running with a Cary SLP-05 preamp. Now toss in, only after I was satisfied with the smooth and present bass of the prodigies alone, dual/stereo Martin Logan Decent i subs to fill the room...and house. :)

This system now is super clear, wide, deep, and full. Well, as far as what I know of these characteristics. In all honestly, it does sound just as good as many of the great systems I heard at the past weekends Nor Cal show and better than most of the speaker demos there.

Again, thanks all for the help...now, how do I make myself go to the office when I have all this wonderful sound at home. :)

-NAK8