@bestbaker You might want to read this thread- it deals with exactly the same issues you are dealing with.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/recommendation-for-higher-power-tube-ampIn a nutshell since your speakers are 4 ohms the efficiency is 3dB less than the stated 87dB.
Efficiency is a much more useful spec when dealing with tube amplifiers as tube amps don't double power as impedance is halved.
The bottom line is if you want satisfying sound pressure *and* you want tubes, you are far better off getting a speaker that is not so inefficient!
ESLs don't obey the same rules of loudspeaker operation as conventional box speakers; no doubt because a box isn't involved for starters :) As a result, to make them more compatible with solid state (as otherwise ESLs are *far* more compatible with tubes), Sanders made his speakers fairly low impedance, just like Martin Logan. This results in impedances that are south of 1 ohm at the upper range of the speaker. For more on how this works seehttp://www.atma-sphere.com/Resources/Paradigms_in_Amplifier_Design.php
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/recommendation-for-higher-power-tube-ampIn a nutshell since your speakers are 4 ohms the efficiency is 3dB less than the stated 87dB.
Efficiency is a much more useful spec when dealing with tube amplifiers as tube amps don't double power as impedance is halved.
The bottom line is if you want satisfying sound pressure *and* you want tubes, you are far better off getting a speaker that is not so inefficient!
Sanders biases his arguments towards his own amps which are admittedly great values in high powered amps. Yes, high powered tube amps waste a lot more energy as heat than an AB SS amp. He is also expressing his opinion with a bias toward driving his electrostatic speakers. He dismisses OTL amps off hand. He is right that you need to use a lot of tubes to reduce the impedance of the output section but once you do so they are every bit as effective at driving electrostats as SS amps.@mijostyn
ESLs don't obey the same rules of loudspeaker operation as conventional box speakers; no doubt because a box isn't involved for starters :) As a result, to make them more compatible with solid state (as otherwise ESLs are *far* more compatible with tubes), Sanders made his speakers fairly low impedance, just like Martin Logan. This results in impedances that are south of 1 ohm at the upper range of the speaker. For more on how this works seehttp://www.atma-sphere.com/Resources/Paradigms_in_Amplifier_Design.php
