2. amps-preamps
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Ok ML CLS and SET amp owners - interesting ?

I own Wright 3.5 SET tube monoblock amps. They put out 4 watts and up to 8 peak. I love the way they sound. I want to try some Martin Logan CLS and while it seems crazy to think they both could work together I ask this question.

The CLS's are 86 db effecient and have a 4 ohm nominal impedience. They drop down to as low 1.5 - 2 ohms. OK, no way my Wright would work as it, but what if I purchased the Paul Speltz Zero Autoformers. I understand it raises the speaker impedience the amps see up to 2X, 3X or 4X.

How does increasing the CLS's from their nominal 2-4 ohms to 8-16 ohms increase the functional effeciency of the speaker? Does this even ring true?

Would my wonderful Wright amps then "work" well with the CLS's. Think this would be a match made in heaven if possible.

Grannyring
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Showing 3 responses by boa2

boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
You are correct in that the autoformers alter the impedance of the speaker, making them easier to drive. At least that's how it as explained to me by a friend who was using an Audio Note SET amp with his ML's. That is, until he moved to the Cain & Cain Single Ben, which sounds much more transparent, with a spaciousness & immediacy to the music that to both of us made the ML's sound distant and frankly, boring. Unless you're absolutely in love with the ML's, I'd recommend sticking with your Cain & Cain IM-Ben speakers. Otherwise, you could end up finding your match to be moving further away from heaven than you had expected.
Just my two cents.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
True enough, Btstrg. Bill, contact member douglikesaudio and he can give you his impressions of the SET/ML combination. He's the one who now has the Single Ben's.
Good luck,
Howard
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
Bill,
Definitely speak with douglikesaudio. He's a wonderful person, with a refreshingly open mind when it comes to audio.

After several trial configurations, he actually ended up bi-amping his ML's, with a SS amp on the bottom & the Audio Note SET on the top. Ask him his opinion about the sound. When compared with the mids & highs of the Cain & Cain, I thought the ML's sounded like they were being smothered by a pillow. Soft, pleasant, yet distant & less engaging. No, this is not a categorical dissing of ML's . In fact, Btstrg's system is yet a world apart from what you're talking about with the Wright/CLS combination. Give it a go. Nothing more nagging then wondering "What if...?"
I'd love to hear your impressions.
Regards,
Howard
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