Electrostatic Speakers

Bsevans -

The problem that a solid-state amplifier has driving the Sound Labs is related to the high impedance in the bass.

You see, the Sound Labs present a ballpark 40 ohm load in the deep bass, decreasing to around 6 ohms at 500 Hz, then going back up to maybe 15 ohms before gradually decreasing to 2 ohms or so at the very top end. (Before January 2002, that midrange impedance dip was down to around 3 ohms, rather than 6 ohms - which was much more of a challenge for OTL amplifiers. The reason for the two-hump impedance curve is Sound Labs use two transformers - one for the bass, and one for the high frequencies.)

I would guess that strapped Levinson ML2's do something like 100 watts into 8 ohms (not sure how the math works out), and double that into 4 ohms. But, what about into 40 ohms? Because solid state amplifiers act as a voltage source, the power delivered goes down as the impedance goes up. So into a 40-ohm load, a "100-watt amp" solid-state delivers about 20 watts, and clips way before you think it should. On the other hand, it will sound very good up until the point where clipping sets in.

Generally speaking, tube amps are better at delivering power into a high impedance load, so a high quality medium-powered tube amp has a better chance of driving the Sound Labs than a comparable solid-state amp.

Duke

I'm a fan of Apogee, the cheap treats. The only criticism I agree with above is the hidden amp cost. The speakers are so cheap, though, what does it matter?

"arcing","anemic bass", and "metallic highs"....

Phase, seems a long time since you listened to any type of stators last, unless of course you're speaking from hearsay.
Modern stators do not have any of those characteristics you speak of and yes, they are generally phasecorrect (sic) and have better continuity than most....

Phasecorrect, "Arcing?"

"Anemic bass," you got to be kidding. One of the great sonic successes of the big Apogees are their deep bass that play seamlessly with the mids and highs.

For realistic acoustic bass, there is no better. Certainly, certain box speakers can produce more slam, which works for electronic bass reproduction. If that is solely your cup of tea, then by all means... but if you want to hear a cello, drum, acoustic bass, etc.. and you want it to smoothly integrate, it is here the large Apogee panels will excel.

"Metallic highs," If you have ever heard a Diva, Scintilla, Duetta, or Full Range, then that term wouldn't have occurred to you. In fact, I haven't heard anyone characterize the highs of Apogees as being "metallic."

"...." I suppose by this, you mean everything else...

I can't say anything about other panel speakers except that the ones I've heard do a better mid than any dynamic drive I've heard. It is true, they are all room dependent to varying degrees. Floor reflections can be simply nullified using a rug.

It is the speed of the ribbon or panel that defines fine texture in a voice or instrument that sets them apart. Apogees extend this speed and clarity to 30Hz and lower.