You should contact the amp's manufacturer, describe the load you want to drive and ask how the unit would behave. I went through quite a few amps (tube and transistor) and finally settled on the InnerSound ESL amp for driving my electrostatic hybrids. My Eros speakers have an impedance curve that varies between 2 ohms at 20 kHz and over 100 ohms in the lower midrange--but the InnerSound amp is rock-solid driving that load and has more power and headroom than you'll ever require with your speakers.
Mesa Baron & CLS's - Impedance Problem?
I've been searching for a tube amp for my Martin Logan CLS's (original version) and considered the Mesa Baron as one of my finalists. I have heard that because of the Baron's high output impedance that it may affect the tonal balance of speakers with an imedance curve of more than 6 ohms. This is a downright joke when it comes to the CLS's (any version) -- the impedance minima is 1.5 ohms (at 20kHz no big deal since there's not much energy there and nothing like the .6ohms of the CLSII) -- but the original CLS that I have go well into double digit impedance at the other end of the spectrum. I know that when these speakers were current models, many folks used moderately powered tube amps with great success. I also know from the Mesa people that ML liked the Baron with the current CLSIIz's (not as much impedance swing, easier to drive). This is not the usual question of current or voltage, or ability to handle low impedance, but how the amp responds to swings of more than 6 ohms. Anyone used a Baron on CLS's (or the big Thiel's -- same situation re: impedance curve) or have an opinion on how they might perform? The amp is infinitely adjustable so this may work in my favor. Yeah I know I should get the Lamms or a VT200 or even a Power3 (or track down a Counterpoint SA220 and go for a Mike Elliott rebuild) -- just don't have the scratch right now. Thanks in advance.
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