new Parasound A21+ vs my old Rotel RB-1080

I have ML ESLs, and I've used them with Rotel, Parasound, Conrad-Johnson Sonographe, some Chinese class D's, and Hafler.  The ESL are extremely crisp and clean in the high end and the only amp that diminished that was the Parasound (it was a low end Parasound, though).

Every box speaker I've ever heard adds coloration to the sound of a snare drum or male voices, and the dome tweeters on them just don't match the transparency of the ML's.

I might suggest you raise the back end of your speakers so that the electrostatic panel is perpendicular to the floor.  I think you'll find that the speakers character changes dramatically, and may be more of what you're looking for.

I believe that @soix is correct and he is saving me time, money and frustration from chasing the unattainable with cables and components. if I must hear realistic ride cymbals, I need to sit in my car.  If I want live sound, go crank up the PA system in the basement/backyard (I do prefer outdoor venues).  I am just outside of the HOA and many of my neighbors enjoy the concerts.  often stopping by to check out the band. (only to be disappoint it is just a recording).  As for vocals and acoustic with an in the room presence, the ESL are believable.  and they can play anything all day and not be fatiguing.

Thank you!

@milpai 

I posted that. It was from an email I received from Parasound as a customer. I have a Parasound A23+ and like it very much. I recently upgraded to the Bryston but I still have the Parasound and plan to use it in another system. It was just information for interested readers. I have no idea why it was removed. 

It’s your speakers. I ran A23 mono blocks and tried each amp in stereo also. With SF Sonetto 8s - great high detail for the cymbals. Great low end extension too. Those speakers love power. An A21+ can drive anything. You can attenuate the power also I believe

Don’t listen to someone’s semi-educated guess—especially if they have never owned or auditioned this particular model of Rotel. You need to do your due diligence. According to Stereophile:

But I’d be misleading you if I gave the impression that one would ultimately want to get by by using the Rotel RB 1080 to drive the Revels, or even the B&Ws. The 1080 was not the last word in soundstage openness or grain-free treble, and always retained a slightly withdrawn mid- to upper treble. Switching swiftly between power amps in less than a minute, it became apparent that amps such as the Simaudio W-5, the Bel Canto eVo, and the Sonic Frontiers Power-3 did not suffer from the 1080’s minor foibles in low-level micro-dynamics and treble reserve. Furthermore, those other amps ably demonstrated that the Revel and the B&W are capable of truly transparent treble, detailed and finely drawn, which the RB 1080 merely outlined. On Cyndee Peters’ "House of the Rising Sun" (Test CD 4, Opus3 CD 19420), the ultimate delicacy of the triangle and brushed cymbals eluded the Rotel but not the other three amps.