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Just to quickly address the above two posts, as I don't want to derail this thread. After all, this is about Chris's new love and his enjoyment of the CLX's or at least I'm hoping he's going to enjoy them...

Three Room issues:
1. Not wide enough, and not adequate space from front wall to panels. More like a sausage room!
2. One had an added step or seating area (really don't know what the heck was the purpose) like a low level slab of concrete sticking out of the wall, that ran the entire length of the room only on one side (right side). I believe this extra slab was to allow things / decor to rest as well as seating. Definitely no go for sound.
3. Another room, Front wall was full of glass, followed by an elongated space then a step level higher followed by further seating area behind. If the listening position was placed before this step then you're too close, almost like wearing headphones. Then if you're located on the higher step level, that's too high! Again, definitely not suited for CLX's, mini-monitors or stand mount speakers would have been far better.
4. Due to the glass front wall, they were covered with extra heavy drapes, which then killed the HF extension that CLX's are capable of. The room was over-damped and had awkward parameters.
5. The majority of these different types of rooms just didn't have the right fit for CLX's. Either inadequate space to breathe, couldn't be taken further away from walls, not enough space between panels to form that supreme soundstage they're capable of, and not enough listening distance to make the CLX's disappear. Simply not enough space!
With regards to ceiling height, I found that anywhere from 8 to 9ft is fine, and in some cases 10ft ceilings even better. So that wasn't a problem with these rooms but they just didn't have the space for large stats.
*Note* with other owner who originally had the carry red finish and opted to keep his refurbed Apogee's, his room set-up was mighty fine! Plenty of space all round and he also kept his Apogee's positioned straight, since the listening position was quite far back. Hence, no reason for toe-in.

Re. To sub integration
Yes! This can be quite tricky, especially with CLX's due to their awesome speed in their double bass panels. In my case, I used three different types and ended up with the BF series subs. They ĵust integrate better, specifically with the built-in dsp and ARC software, it was that much easier to make the BF sub disappear. This is my experience and may not be the same for others.
I do know others who have merged their subs with stats and panel type speakers really well, with the help of other tools and software to help with room modes.
I will say this though, in the majority of cases where subs have been used with CLX's, I've found that the BF series seems to be better integrated. After all, this is ML's own design and they've designed the BF series really well! They're fantastic subs.

On another note, there are a few CLX owners systems that I've visited, who actually don't use subs at all! They've carefully selected gear to fully grip the CLX's double bass panels with tremendous speed and control. Plus proper room set-up is key! The LF detail is phenomenal! Also, the type of music they listen to doesn't contain any heavy bass material, so the CLX's are able to capture what's exactly on the recording and they reproduce this extremely well. To such a fine level that adding subs will simply ruin all that finesse!

Initially, for nearly the first two years I didn't use subs either. Only when I started listening to tunes from Grant Green, McDuff with George Benson, 3Blind Mice Japanese jazz Trio and some of Patricia Barber's Trio where LF notes really went quite low, the CLX's were trying to reproduce it and I could distinctly hear it. Only after I installed the BF210, I could actually feel those low notes. The other fantastic feature is that the BF subs only kick in when required, when a low bass signal is applied. Other than that, it's sleeping! So it's a good thing, otherwise bass heaviness will be lingering all throughout playback. To me, this is an artificial enhancement, something I don't care for.

Hope that helps!
Cheers, RJ
 
The white looks very good with the contrast of the black front wall.

The real question is, how do they sound from the start?
Hi Brad
Got them nicely positioned and the subs dialled in and it’s now sounding really lovely with both “the very impressive” 200 watt AGD Gran Vivace and “the very inviting” but a little underpowered, 25 watt Line Magnetic 845 premium, which I was unable to use on previous 86db speakers, it’s now got me thinking about more powerful tube amps 🙄🙁. There‘S a used 160 Watt SET NAT Magma SE available in the UK that would probably play very nicely with my NAT Magnetostat pre 🤔 I attempted to upload a short music clip video clip with Line Magnetic 845, but apparently 45 seconds is too long.
 
Glad to hear you have wonderful sound from the beginning. I am clearly biased but the more tube power the better.

Don't be afraid to move the speakers around, even little amounts once they are broken in. You will be rewarded for the effort.

Keep us updated as things improve and they will.
 
Great advice, I thought I’d got the best position as I’m well practiced at position speakers, but I applied the math approach as offered in the owners manual, which moved them about 100 mm further forward and 200 mm total closer together and I did get a better result. Thank you.
 
And remember to mark the starting point so you can get back to square one if it doesn't work. Once there get some of those small "shues" for the spikes which have adhesive tape so the won't move even when bumbed by accident.
 
Does anybody use or have they heard the Gryphon Antileon Evo amplifier with CLX speakers please.
Thanks
 
G'day mate, just came across your post.

Not specifically the Antileon but a different and bigger one! The Gryphon Mephisto. I helped a mate of mine set-up his CLX's with Mephisto, using a CJ top line preamp but it wasn't a good match.
1. The CJ preamp unfortunately doesn't use XLR connections, only SE / RCA, which I personally prefer. The Gryphon uses only XLR connections, no SE at all. So we used those finicky adapters, they were useless.
2. Driving CLX's wasn't the issue at all, it was a breeze... but the sound presentation was too sterile and cold. It had all the dynamics and transient speed and control that Gryphon is known for but on stats, it just lacked musicality. None of us were tapping in rhythm or snapping fingers, we were rather hiding wondering when the next huge transient attack was about to jump at as. It had a big jump factor and it wasn't well received.

Later on, we tried the matching Gryphon preamp as well as the Momentum preamp, which has plenty of XLR connections. Again, slightly better but that wasn't a great enjoyable combination.

On another note, he sold off the CLX's (which he now regrets big time!) And got SF Strads, which was a much better match with the Mephisto amp. In fact, I've heard and auditioned at length Gryphon Mephisto with Genesis, and YG Acoustics speakers, including the Acora (full granite cabinet) speakers. They all sounded fab! So not all speakers sound great with Gryphon gear... it's one of those brands that has to be carefully matched. At the end of the day, you may like the sound of Gryphon on CLX's, who knows! That's entirely your preference.

As far as the three of us were concerned (my mate, Gryphon dealer & myself) none of us found it to be that great on the CLX's.

Since you're talking about SS amplifiers driving CLX's, these are my top 3 followed by the rest:
1. Pass Labs
2. Burmester
3. Vitus

4. Dartzeel
5. CH Precision
6. Solution
7. Goldmun
8. Momentum
9. Progression
10. Relentless

Have auditioned all of the above at great lengths specifically with CLX's. All sounded truly spectacular, some even awe-inspiring! The top 3 is based on overall value for money, not just performance alone. The others that are listed below 4 onwards are all extremely fine top notch quality products but they cost a bloody fortune!

Sorry, forgot to mention the Dartzeel pricing:
Dartzeel integrated 65grand!
Dartzeel stereo power amp 150grand
Dartzeel monoblocks 250grand
(Note: $AUD not USD) still damn pricey!

So with that kind of spend, for much less I can get the top line Pass Labs XA160.8 monoblocks, which are mighty mighty fine! So my rationale of short listing is not based solely on power and performance, it has to add value otherwise what's the point?

The Antileon I've also heard on dynamic driver type speakers, SF's, Genesis, Wilson, Rockport, Magico etc., not on stats though.
Cheers, hope that helps.
RJ
 
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G'day mate, just came across your post.

Not specifically the Antileon but a different and bigger one! The Gryphon Mephisto. I helped a mate of mine set-up his CLX's with Mephisto, using a CJ top line preamp but it wasn't a good match.
1. The CJ preamp unfortunately doesn't use XLR connections, only SE / RCA, which I personally prefer. The Gryphon uses only XLR connections, no SE at all. So we used those finicky adapters, they were useless.
2. Driving CLX's wasn't the issue at all, it was a breeze... but the sound presentation was too sterile and cold. It had all the dynamics and transient speed and control that Gryphon is known for but on stats, it just lacked musicality. None of us were tapping in rhythm or snapping fingers, we were rather hiding wondering when the next huge transient attack was about to jump at as. It had a big jump factor and it wasn't well received.

Later on, we tried the matching Gryphon preamp as well as the Momentum preamp, which has plenty of XLR connections. Again, slightly better but that wasn't a great enjoyable combination.

On another note, he sold off the CLX's (which he now regrets big time!) And got SF Strads, which was a much better match with the Mephisto amp. In fact, I've heard and auditioned at length Gryphon Mephisto with Genesis, and YG Acoustics speakers, including the Acora (full granite cabinet) speakers. They all sounded fab! So not all speakers sound great with Gryphon gear... it's one of those brands that has to be carefully matched. At the end of the day, you may like the sound of Gryphon on CLX's, who knows! That's entirely your preference.

As far as the three of us were concerned (my mate, Gryphon dealer & myself) none of us found it to be that great on the CLX's.

Since you're talking about SS amplifiers driving CLX's, these are my top 3 followed by the rest:
1. Pass Labs
2. Burmester
3. Vitus

4. Dartzeel
5. CH Precision
6. Solution
7. Goldmun
8. Momentum
9. Progression
10. Relentless

Have auditioned all of the above at great lengths specifically with CLX's. All sounded truly spectacular, some even awe-inspiring! The top 3 is based on overall value for money, not just performance alone. The others that are listed below 4 onwards are all extremely fine top notch quality products but they cost a bloody fortune!

Sorry, forgot to mention the Dartzeel pricing:
Dartzeel integrated 65grand!
Dartzeel stereo power amp 150grand
Dartzeel monoblocks 250grand
(Note: $AUD not USD) still damn pricey!

So with that kind of spend, for much less I can get the top line Pass Labs XA160.8 monoblocks, which are mighty mighty fine! So my rationale of short listing is not based solely on power and performance, it has to add value otherwise what's the point?

The Antileon I've also heard on dynamic driver type speakers, SF's, Genesis, Wilson, Rockport, Magico etc., not on stats though.
Cheers, hope that helps.
RJ
Hiya RJ
Thank you for your well considered response 🙏.
From my research, I’ve read all I can find on the net and watched everything that I can find on YouTube etc about the Antileon and comparisons with the Mephisto et al and it supports your Mephisto observations. The Antileon seems to have gained a reputation for bringing the best of SS and tubes sound to the party which might be a better choice for the CLX’s. On the Vitus front there’s two 101’s for sale in the uk for about £5k but could be up to 17 yrs old, so concerns about age related reliability.
 
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Any consideration of SS amps for driving our beloved stats is not complete without also including the Sanders ESL and Magtech Amps. Designed and built by the guru of stat design, they’re a compelling match for any stat panel speaker.
 
Yes definitely the Magtech, no doubt. On a similar "level," we also have Krell, Bryston, Parasound, Class'e, Jeff Rowland and the list goes on...
However, those I've mentioned in my post, although awfully expensive, are top notch SOTA! They're in a completely different league. They're design and build is extraordinary, and since Chris inquired about Gryphon... I believe Gryphon is also part of this category.

If you've heard any of those that I've mentioned, with stats, especially ML full range Stats like the CLX's, you'll know what I'm referring to when I say extraordinary. At this level there are no compromises. And yes, it comes at a price.

I'm not intending that you must use very high quality SOTA amplifiers with your ML stats to sound best, not at all. Without having to spend the equivalent on a luxury sedan, there are so many fantastic options available for a fraction of the cost that offer real vfm! Parasound and Magtech are two superb examples. OTOH, if you can afford it, and would like to experience some of the true highend and what it can do, it's worth every pretty penny. It's all about the right choices, finances permitting of course and finding the right gear that suits your individual needs.

After all, every person's system is unique, no one's the same, not even the room! So if you really want the top notch gear and can afford it, go for it! Life's too short, so enjoy those finest tunes!
Woof! RJ
 
Yes definitely the Magtech, no doubt. On a similar "level," we also have Krell, Bryston, Parasound, Class'e, Jeff Rowland and the list goes on...
However, those I've mentioned in my post, although awfully expensive, are top notch SOTA! They're in a completely different league. They're design and build is extraordinary, and since Chris inquired about Gryphon... I believe Gryphon is also part of this category.

If you've heard any of those that I've mentioned, with stats, especially ML full range Stats like the CLX's, you'll know what I'm referring to when I say extraordinary. At this level there are no compromises. And yes, it comes at a price.

I'm not intending that you must use very high quality SOTA amplifiers with your ML stats to sound best, not at all. Without having to spend the equivalent on a luxury sedan, there are so many fantastic options available for a fraction of the cost that offer real vfm! Parasound and Magtech are two superb examples. OTOH, if you can afford it, and would like to experience some of the true highend and what it can do, it's worth every pretty penny. It's all about the right choices, finances permitting of course and finding the right gear that suits your individual needs.

After all, every person's system is unique, no one's the same, not even the room! So if you really want the top notch gear and can afford it, go for it! Life's too short, so enjoy those finest tunes!
Woof! RJ short list is down
 
Having discounted Luxman and Pass (those I can afford and afford to run), based on distortion below 2 Ohms, I’ve shortlisted used but very recent Gryphon Antileon Evo and refurbished Vitus ss101. Is the £10k price gap worth it?
 
Having discounted Luxman and Pass (those I can afford and afford to run), based on distortion below 2 Ohms, I’ve shortlisted used but very recent Gryphon Antileon Evo and refurbished Vitus ss101. Is the £10k price gap worth it?
I am running a Pass Labs 150.8 with CLSiiZ with no issues if that helps. It has been flawless for the last 3 years!
 
G'day Chris.
The Vitus SS 101 is much older series, it was ok back in the day but was surpassed by few other models.

The Vitus SS-103 is the one I'm referring to, sorry I didn't mention the exact model in my list. The SS-103 is the Vitus signature series, top of the line stereo power amplifier, and it has some serious Class A power. I brought one in on home trial and I had quite a difficult time returning it! At the time, my ML dealer offered it at 57grand, and if I was very keen, could have closed at 55grand or so ($AUD).

Then just after that, I home trialled two others, the Pass Labs XA60.8 and XA160.8 monoblocks. Both of these were superb! Handled the CLX's supremely well, and although I found the XA160.8 to be superior in overall Class A bias, the XA60.8's were more than adequate. I think the XA160.8 are more suitable for very large rooms with big high performance speakers. It would have been overkill in my particular room set-up.

Whereas the Vitus SS-103 is just about right. The signature series of Vitus latest designs are a force to reckon with, they're Class A topology is outstanding! The wonderful feature of the SS-103, is the ability to switch from pure Class A to AB bias output, catering to user preference. That's a clever feature to have on a high performance unit like this.

The Vitus SS-103 also has a monoblock version but that's awfully expensive and doubles the Class A output stages. So once again, massive Class A power reserve, very similar to the Pass Labs XA160.8 monoblocks, if you have a huge room.

The Gryphon Antileon would be a better match, compared to the Vitus 101 amps, plus you really don't need monoblocks unless you were driving your CLX's with all tube amplifiers. Monoblocks on tube gear makes more sense because with monoblocks, the Output tubes are far less stressed compared to setero versions that share mains trannies. Tube monoblocks have dedicated power supplies (mains & output trannies) per channel, so it only drives one speaker with much higher current levels.

If you can by any chance ,come across the Vitus SS-103, I very highly recommend an audition. It's an outstanding product.

Cheers matey, have a good one now.
Woof! RJ
 
G'day Chris.
The Vitus SS 101 is much older series, it was ok back in the day but was surpassed by few other models.

The Vitus SS-103 is the one I'm referring to, sorry I didn't mention the exact model in my list. The SS-103 is the Vitus signature series, top of the line stereo power amplifier, and it has some serious Class A power. I brought one in on home trial and I had quite a difficult time returning it! At the time, my ML dealer offered it at 57grand, and if I was very keen, could have closed at 55grand or so ($AUD).

Then just after that, I home trialled two others, the Pass Labs XA60.8 and XA160.8 monoblocks. Both of these were superb! Handled the CLX's supremely well, and although I found the XA160.8 to be superior in overall Class A bias, the XA60.8's were more than adequate. I think the XA160.8 are more suitable for very large rooms with big high performance speakers. It would have been overkill in my particular room set-up.

Whereas the Vitus SS-103 is just about right. The signature series of Vitus latest designs are a force to reckon with, they're Class A topology is outstanding! The wonderful feature of the SS-103, is the ability to switch from pure Class A to AB bias output, catering to user preference. That's a clever feature to have on a high performance unit like this.

The Vitus SS-103 also has a monoblock version but that's awfully expensive and doubles the Class A output stages. So once again, massive Class A power reserve, very similar to the Pass Labs XA160.8 monoblocks, if you have a huge room.

The Gryphon Antileon would be a better match, compared to the Vitus 101 amps, plus you really don't need monoblocks unless you were driving your CLX's with all tube amplifiers. Monoblocks on tube gear makes more sense because with monoblocks, the Output tubes are far less stressed compared to setero versions that share mains trannies. Tube monoblocks have dedicated power supplies (mains & output trannies) per channel, so it only drives one speaker with much higher current levels.

If you can by any chance ,come across the Vitus SS-103, I very highly recommend an audition. It's an outstanding product.

Cheers matey, have a good one now.
Woof! RJ
Thank you again RJ
 
Thanks again RJ, much appreciated. May I ask have you listened to the SS101 or is it assumption that the SS103 has moved the game that much further on? If you have, then I’ll more likely pursue the used Gryphon or hold out for a used 103’s as new is out of the question until the big lottery win lands. In the mean time, I’ve dropped a line to Nelson himself, about the XA60 and Pass labs in general and their suitability for the CLX’s. Excited buy the research journey I am 😁
 
Yes, the SS 101 series was surpassed by the SS-103. Basically they're the same base circuit, no major changes there. However, it's the Class A bias that has been significantly been modified on the 103 series. It has far more power and control in the Output stages, thanks to having a higher Class A power stage. These can hold very high levels without flinching one bit! Thus, when driving high performance speakers, such as the CLX's, the presentation is awe-inspiring!

Similar case with Pass Labs "XA" series. The XA series is the only category in the Pass Labs line up that can hold pure Class A for difficult loads. Even at very high levels, with vast dynamic swings and blistering transients, the XA series delivers supremely well. Same goes with any of Gryphon's top line gear, such as the Mephisto and Antileon, high Class A bias, no issues handling serious impedence swings of full range stats.

However, like I said, you'd need to audition first to choose your personal preference. I nor anyone on this forum can tell you what YOU like. Only you can determine that. Have also heard the Vitus SS101 series, it is quite tops indeed but that 103 series takes that performance to another level, and it's not marginal.

If you do come across any of the Pass Labs XA series (XA30.8, 60.8, 100.8, 160.8 & 200.8) for a reasonable price, any of these would be your end game amplifiers. I have a good mate of mine who uses the XA30.8 to drive his CLX's. Rated at just 30w pure Class A, it is one of the best I've heard to date. It was actually after listening to his system comprising of CLX's, Leben (tube preamp), T+A Digital player and the Pass Labs XA30.8 that I realised you dont have to have high power. Rather, high current with highly stable voltage is the key. And many so called high powered amps with 100's and 100's of watts fall terribly short. They simply run out of puff! Although on specs, they look great. Specs are very misleading... a lot to do with marketing and not actual performance.
Our human hearing cannot listen to 100's or 1000's of watts, we'd go dumb & deaf! It only takes a handful of watts for playback at realistic levels, that's only around 45-50w the most. After all, this is domestic hifi and not rock concert levels. That's distortion!

Cheers and let us know how your quest goes.
RJ
 
Yes, the SS 101 series was surpassed by the SS-103. Basically they're the same base circuit, no major changes there. However, it's the Class A bias that has been significantly been modified on the 103 series. It has far more power and control in the Output stages, thanks to having a higher Class A power stage. These can hold very high levels without flinching one bit! Thus, when driving high performance speakers, such as the CLX's, the presentation is awe-inspiring!

Similar case with Pass Labs "XA" series. The XA series is the only category in the Pass Labs line up that can hold pure Class A for difficult loads. Even at very high levels, with vast dynamic swings and blistering transients, the XA series delivers supremely well. Same goes with any of Gryphon's top line gear, such as the Mephisto and Antileon, high Class A bias, no issues handling serious impedence swings of full range stats.

However, like I said, you'd need to audition first to choose your personal preference. I nor anyone on this forum can tell you what YOU like. Only you can determine that. Have also heard the Vitus SS101 series, it is quite tops indeed but that 103 series takes that performance to another level, and it's not marginal.

If you do come across any of the Pass Labs XA series (XA30.8, 60.8, 100.8, 160.8 & 200.8) for a reasonable price, any of these would be your end game amplifiers. I have a good mate of mine who uses the XA30.8 to drive his CLX's. Rated at just 30w pure Class A, it is one of the best I've heard to date. It was actually after listening to his system comprising of CLX's, Leben (tube preamp), T+A Digital player and the Pass Labs XA30.8 that I realised you dont have to have high power. Rather, high current with highly stable voltage is the key. And many so called high powered amps with 100's and 100's of watts fall terribly short. They simply run out of puff! Although on specs, they look great. Specs are very misleading... a lot to do with marketing and not actual performance.
Our human hearing cannot listen to 100's or 1000's of watts, we'd go dumb & deaf! It only takes a handful of watts for playback at realistic levels, that's only around 45-50w the most. After all, this is domestic hifi and not rock concert levels. That's distortion!

Cheers and let us know how your quest goes.
RJ
 
Àttn: Chris

Just a point to add, and worth noting since I've experienced the exact thing; when it comes to amplification and especially for CLX's, which are high performance speakers, getting the right match is essential if you want your CLX's to perform optimally.

Therefore, take your time and audition as much as possible before making your decision. Also draw up a short list of 5 and choose the top 3 from that list that suits your needs, budget and overall value. From 3 top favourites it's much easier to choose one because all three are equally good. It's much harder to choose one from ten...

At the end of the day, the CLX's are ML's top electrostats ever made, sadly now no more. They deserve the best money can buy and obviously what you can afford. You don't want to be in a situation where your system is "over-speakered and under-amped"... sadly I've come across this very phenomenon many times, and not just with stats but other types of designs as well. Over-amped and under-speakered is ok, since you can always upgrade to far better speakers. However, in terms of changing or upgrading amplifiers, is not easy and you can lose money on it.

I've even questioned many owners on this very topic, as to why on earth they went for high performance speakers and ran out of budget on amplification... their simple answer was that they were crazy over a certain type of speaker but later realised they couldn't fork out the extra dollars required for proper amplification. In which case no point of going for such types of speaker systems in the first place! Just settle for something on the middle or entry level and work your way upwards, not the other way round.

So, in your case there's no rush. Just take your time and you will come across that perfect amplifier to drive your CLX's to glorious levels. It may even take a few years... in my case it took me 15yrs to get this! I do realise how critical it is to acquire the right kind of amplifiers.
Cheers mate, and enjoy those finest tunes!
Woof! RJ
 

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