Using Martin Logan speakers with tube amps??Any experiences??

Using Martin Logan speakers with tube amps??Any experiences?
I have a pair of cary cad 805ae monoblock amps, which are pure class A, 50 watts per channel.What do you think?.

I had the same as the Cary 805’s I built, but my 40kg mono’s used an interstage transformer between the 300b driver and the 805 tube, they were even a bit more powerful than the Cary mono’s.
As for driving the ML’s, yes they did drive just the esl panel (SS on the bass) of my ML Monolith’s to a "certain level" nicely with non complex, non wildly swinging dynamic music.
But even with excellent output transformers and lowish output impedance they still were recessed in the highs where all ML’s have their lowest .9ohm impedance. Good stable high current, high biased Class-A/B solid state will do better.

Cheers George

Vantages with McIntosh 275 ,very nice

I owned ML SL3s, tubes wouldn't cut it and I went with a high powered SS amp.....BAT VK500....it was a good combo

The Music Reference RM-200 Mk.2 is designed to work into low impedance loads. 100w/ch into 8 and 4 ohms. The amp has low output impedance (for a tube design), so no loss of bass or treble (depending on where the speaker exhibits very low or high impedance).

I was an electrostatic fan for years. The last pair I owned was the Martin Logan Aries-i speakers and drove them with an ARC Classic 60. They played fine ... but I really didn't like the speakers.  I found them non-involving musically and they didn't move enough air. I sold them at a profit and bought a used pair of Legacy Signature III's and never looked back.

Frank

Asking a bit much of the AR which only gives max 50w from the 4ohm tap at already 1% distortion, to do both the ML’s ESL panel and bass as well!!
My guess it would have been a different outcome, to horizontal Bi-Amp’d the Aries with a cheap 100w Class-D on the bass section.
http://www.av2day.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/biamp1.jpg

Cheers George

I have the good fortune to have a friend who drives M-L 15a Renaissance electrostats with a vintage Audio Research tube amp.  Don't know the model, but has, if memory serves,16 output tubes total.  He can really open those stats up with that amp!  He is in an enormous room with a gabled ceiling.  The combination seems to get rid of the M-L "plasticy" sound all too often heard through mylar diaphragms.  Very open and airy.  Especially fine reproduction of voices. Perfect for him as sung music is his tune of choice.

I know of several cases where switching to solid state was the solution.


It depends on your overall tastes, of course, but in general, that giant capacitor called an ESL speaker makes it common to see less than stellar amps droop in the top octaves and loose overall punch.


The more common combination is tube pre with solid state amps, but YMMV, and there are always exceptions to the rule.


Best,
E

Vantages with McIntosh 275 ,very nice

IMHO everything's nice with MC275

For over 10 years I drove a pair of ML Summit’s with a pair of Cary 211AE amps. They have about twice the power as the 805s and they were a very musical match for the Summits.

Hi Guys!
Many thanks for sharing your opinions. I was thinking in the new MLogans Electromotion ESL, they are 91db instead of  89db of Aerius and 6ohms instead of 4ohms.They say that they are much easier to drive than the aerius and that can be used with normal amplifiers.Besides the higher price..... Do you think these ones could be a possible match for my cary cad's 805?
Another question... In. General, how many years lasts an electrostatic panel before it losses their optimal performance??this point is crucial to me.  Because ther is no technical service in my area. 
Thanks for your replies! 
Cheers! 

Raf

You might want to try the Bob Carver Raven 350 mono block amps. With 350 wpc and the ability to drive low impedance speakers they should work great!

ozzy

This, as with any Youtube video of somebody's rig, might not help much but I think it's sort of interesting since I own one of these amps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlR9B22kOiM

In. General, how many years lasts an electrostatic panel before it losses their optimal performance??

Depends how humid, if your a smoker, if it’s in a dusty environment, how often your prepared to vacuum them to get dust off them, and I forgot little mini flying bugs (moths) are bad news also (I vacuum them every 2nd time the house gets done)
I got around 20years out of a set of ESL panels before they start to decrease in the HT (ML’s 5kv) on the Mylar diaphragm. (I always turn them off when not listening, they take around 1/2hr to come up to full charge, which is fine as so does the rest of the systems electronics)

But their worth it, the only thing that comes in second was big Apogee’s and Magies with full length ribbons, everything else is also rans in my opinion. The only thing to better them all in the upper mids/highs is a Plasma tweeter, which I use from 10khz up on my ML’s
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Magnat-Plasma-MP-02-ion-tweeter-massless-air-plasma-speaker-Plasmahochtoner/272894087984?hash=item3f89c15330:g:V5sAAOSwCJxZ6PXy&frcectupt=true

It’s all about the mass of the diaphragm that has to be moved and respond without delay back an forth without any over/under excursions, especially in the upper mids and highs where it has to move back and forth much faster.

Cheers George