Amp Recommendations

@jbeckley42 

I can understand why your friend believes that 30 watts is not getting full potential from the MLs.  

However it is doubtful that a 100 WPC tube amp will fare much better- they just don’t have the reserve power that a smooth solid state amp would have and usually are rated at lower power with decreased impedance loads. 

I suggest a solid state amp that can "double down" as the speaker load is reduced.   With panel speakers I have heard excellent systems driven by the higher wattage Tube D topology of the Rogue Audio DragoN amplifier- 

https://www.audioadvisor.com/radragon-sil?sku=NEW-RADRAGON-SIL&setCurrencyId=1&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21463913452&gbraid=0AAAAAD_hUXXdZejlf3_vbS19HVafxbxeN&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuNOUqYe7kQMVEVN_AB1CBCHJEAQYAyABEgLePfD_BwE  

Another contender is a used smooth sounding Mac amp, this one would do the job nicely. 

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650271441-mcintosh-mc302/

@jbeckley42 as a 30+ year owner of M-L Electrostatic hybrids, ignore the naysayers about "home theater" speakers. They likely have never heard a quality set up pair of M-L hybrids (thank you Best Buy for underselling these with Yamaha receivers!). The stat panels need high current amps. I have heard fabulous sound with ARC tube on M-L hybrids. In my system I have had Aragon & Krell amps sound fantastic, but haven't owned tubes. I would also look into VTL, Cary & Quicksilver. Many M-L owners have had positive reviews with the Sanders amps as well. A newcomer that I have not yet heard paired with stats is Advance Paris. Not too expensive and seems have have a wide dealer network for new tube-based amps. Good luck.

Not surprisingly, I agree with several of the above to replace the MLs. 

BOL

That is a really nice set of amps.

@cooperdude6 Thanks, appreciate it!

@decooney they are very good amps and sound really good, but as the evening goes on and he (and we) get more into the music, the volume knob tends to move past the noon position, you can hear the small Bernings just struggling a little bit, it's not horrible, but after the big berning....it is just so sweet!

Thank you for all the suggestions, they are very helpful

To all those who say replace the speakers...have you heard them in  good system?  We started off with the Berning EA-230's and they sounded good.  Our friend was remodeling his house and lent the Berning EA-2100 and the ML came alive.  This combo sounds as good or better than Spica TC-50, Snell, B&W 683.  

To the naysayers...please explain how using two Berning EA-230 can make it sound good, but switching to one Berning EA-2100 makes them sound amazing?