Preamp advice needed.

On a budget? Look no further than the brilliant Schiit Freya...I’ve had one for a year, rolled and continue to roll interesting tubes through it (for fun), and it sounds spectacular. You could, of course, look at comparable preamps (comparing features and cost) but there aren’t any.

Hi ewilliams016,

FWIW

What about Parasound that is designed by John Curl? 
 
The Halo P5 Pre has lots of positive reviews. You could mate it with the Halo A23 amp, which should have enough power to manage the Aerius when they dip to the 2 ohm range.

I have heard Parasound with Thiel 3.6 speakers but not Martin Logans; the sound was smooth yet dynamic and might help to tame any treble from the Aerius. Such a Parasound setup would cost you less than $2,000 based on prices in Hifishark.com.

Another thought might be an integrated amplifier. For example, one reviewer stated that a Bryston B60 sounded good with the Aerius. This is an older integrated but Bryston has a good rep and it could be had for less than $1,000. Another integrated might be a Krell 300si that would probably cost more. I liked this amp with Maggie 1.7's as long as I did not try to play it real loud; the Aerius would be an easier load than the Maggies. 

I agree with Erik's comments about a tubed pre and solid sate amp, but a good tubed preamp could get above the $1,000 threshold pretty quickly. Having said that, there is a Conrad Johnson PC10B available on eBay right now for less than $1,000. CJ has a good reputation and would be able to repair the pre if anything went wrong with it.

Of course, the key is to listen before buying. If you have a good stereo dealer where you live they should be willing to let you have an in-house audition before you would purchase.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

I test drove a used Superphon the other day.  I was impressed, but it is old school and limited in inputs.  Also hard to find.  But it is good to warm up a bright system. It was recommended not to look at their amps.  So I have no opinion there.

Usually for ESL's I recommend tube pre and stiff solid state amplifier. 

Your mileage may vary, but you can get tube warmth, along with high frequency extension this way.

Of course, there are exceptions,, and some tubes may work very well with this speaker. It's just my usual recommendation. 

Best,

E