Which Amp to buy? The most frequently asked question on this site. READ THIS!!

[DanR]

Wow. Is it able to reach a good level of volume without distortion? Listening to music/ media at 70 dB or more?

Well the good thing with his speakers is they are 91dB sensitivity so he’ll get a little volume, but certainly not anywhere near 95-100 db but he may not listen at those levels. His problem is going to come in, in the high frequency range where those speakers drop to 0.52 ohms impedance those transformers will be waving white flags in a big way, luckily those high frequency passages are generally short lived but still way out of the range of comfort for that poor amp.
I love the SET amps I have an 300B amp that I play on my other pair of speakers. Geddes Abbey 12A at 95dB sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance they sound just fabulous with that amp they’re 12” woofers and a wave guide for high frequency 2 way speakers, I wouldn’t dream of using that with my Odysseys at 88dB sensitivity and 1.2 ohm impedance in the high frequencies.

 

[Nuri58]

Well appart not much wattage at those frequencies

 

[Robert D]

Then you need to define distorsion - I guess there will always be a bit not least from the loudspeakers. My take would be when you hear it. A bit like dynamic range.

Yeah, I imagine to some extent, distortion is listener dependent.

 

[Nuri58]

No - distortion is distortion, but surely the way it is persived is listner dependend and dependend on everyone's ability.

 

[Robert D]

No - distortion is distortion, but surely the way it is persived is listner dependend and dependend on everyone's ability.

Yes, that's what I was saying. It's perception. Some people can pick up on it more than others, and are more critical.

 

[Nuri58]

Yes, that's what I was saying. It's perception. Some people can pick up on it more than others, and are more critical.

That's it, sorry i misunderstood, but we agree.

 

[FastEddy]

Wow. Is it able to reach a good level of volume without distortion? Listening to music/ media at 70 dB or more?

Actually it goes pretty loud, loud enough to be uncomfortable. Bass is full and tuneful, mids are glorious.
I'm wondering if the amp's wattage was conservatively quoted. 4x 6B4G Sylvania tubes and 4x E88CC. Oh I forgot to mention, it has huge transformers.

 

[FastEddy]

Actually it goes pretty loud, loud enough to be uncomfortable. Bass is full and tuneful, mids are glorious.
I'm wondering if the amp's wattage was conservatively quoted. 4x 6B4G Sylvania tubes and 4x E88CC. Oh I forgot to mention, it has huge transformers.

However, the same amp sounded completely flat on my Mirage OM10 (90dB). Montis are only 1dB more but they're active - seems to make all the difference.

 

[ATK]

Just buy a sanders magtech and enjoy the music and a lifetime warranty

 

[DanR]

I recently tried a vintage Audio Innovations Series 1000 power amp to drive my Montis. It’s a 7.5 watt SET tube amp and I really didn’t expect it to drive them well. To my surprise it’s great and more dynamic than the 100 watt hybrid Counterpoint amp it replaced. Mid range and vocals in particular are very strong.
Just goes to show, you never can tell - just have to listen.

Hi FastEddie
Hey can you post a pic of the Audio Innovations SET amp I can find no info on them ever building a SET amp I have a new found interest in SET amps and am currently building a 300B based SET AMP, 9 watts per channel. Elekit 8600S is the kit I’m building. Thanks

 

[Tmort]

Just buy a sanders magtech and enjoy the music and a lifetime warranty

People keep referencing the Magtech amp for our beloved ESL’s but I’m of the impression that amp is for cone type speakers, Sanders makes a different amp that’s specifically for electrostatics.
Am I missing something?

 

[DanR]

People keep referencing the Magtech amp for our beloved ESL’s but I’m of the impression that amp is for cone type speakers, Sanders makes a different amp that’s specifically for electrostatics.
Am I missing something?

Yep the ESL MK II
http://www.sanderssoundsystems.com/products/amplifiers/magtech-amp

 

[Tmort]

Yep the ESL MK II
http://www.sanderssoundsystems.com/products/amplifiers/magtech-amp

In reading the write up on the Magtech, appears it’s also very ESL friendly with even more power. I have classic 9’s I run with an Anthem MCA 225 mk2, I doubt I can justify something with that much grunt! I’d love to get that ESL amp someday, on the lookout for a used one…

 

[DanR]

In reading the write up on the Magtech, appears it’s also very ESL friendly with even more power. I have classic 9’s I run with an Anthem MCA 225 mk2, I doubt I can justify something with that much grunt! I’d love to get that ESL amp someday, on the lookout for a used one…

I power my Odysseys with a Krell KSA100 MK II that was completely gone over and recapped, and brought up as new specs in 2022. I also have a pair of classic 9s that I’ve been trying to sell for 2 years now. Well just after Christmas I pulled the 9s out and hooked them up to the Krell. All I can say is they NEVER sounded like that when I had them hooked up to the Parasound A-21+ that I powered them with.

 

[wink]

One thing I don’t see mentioned throughout this 11 page blog, sorry if I overlooked it, is current output. This is the first statistic I look for when looking at an amp to purchase for my ML’s. Of course a stable amplifier, able to double wattage as ohms are halved is a must, but current output rating gives you a good idea of how the amp will take control of the stat panel.

 

[DanR]

Here’s some good reading Wink
http://sanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/52-esl-amp-white-paper

 

[wink]

Here’s some good reading Wink
http://sanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/52-esl-amp-white-paper

Absolutely! I have read this before. Definitely a prerequisite read if you’re going to own electric stats, especially ones with large panels. I currently have a Coda amp running my prodigy…Coda technologies make amps for sanders sound systems.

 

[Robert D]

Has anyone here had one of Sanders' amps fail? How was the warranty service handled, and was it handled well?

 

[FastEddy]

Hi FastEddie
Hey can you post a pic of the Audio Innovations SET amp I can find no info on them ever building a SET amp I have a new found interest in SET amps and am currently building a 300B based SET AMP, 9 watts per channel. Elekit 8600S is the kit I’m building. Thanks

Hi DanR,
Your question prompted me to check it out as I inherited it so didn't have the details, and it seems I got it all wrong! Apologies for the boob!
It isn't a Series 1000 at all, the amp is actually a First Audio Mk1 Audio Innovations.
And it isn't a SET amp either, it is a triode push-pull class A zero feedback design. The particular design is known to sound like an amp of x2-x3 its rated power (don't know why), so perhaps one reason it has no problem in driving the Montis.
Photo & info attached

 

[DanR]

Hi DanR,
Your question prompted me to check it out as I inherited it so didn't have the details, and it seems I got it all wrong! Apologies for the boob!
It isn't a Series 1000 at all, the amp is actually a First Audio Mk1 Audio Innovations.
And it isn't a SET amp either, it is a triode push-pull class A zero feedback design. The particular design is known to sound like an amp of x2-x3 its rated power (don't know why), so perhaps one reason it has no problem in driving the Montis.
Photo & info attached

Thanks for that FastEddy, it was a real good read, and that’s a really sweet looking amp for sure!