Tube Preamp and Amp Recommendations For Martin Logans

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by wags, Aug 18, 2002.

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  1. Joseph

    Joseph Senior Member

    Location:
    Greater Toronto Area, Canada
    Have you considered a tube preamp combined with a high-current class A solid state amp?

    Also try emailing or calling Martin Logan for their advice.
     
    Joseph, Aug 19, 2002
    #1
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Wags,

    I have a guy that makes a great cheap tube amp for M-L's, but he only does favors for friends. But, since you didn't fill in anything on your profile, I don't yet feel you're part of the family, mystery dude.

    If you care to update your profile a bit, maybe we can really help you! If not, that's ok too. 'Tis a free country! :)
     
    Steve Hoffman, Aug 19, 2002
    #2
  3. Scott Wheeler

    Scott Wheeler Forum Resident

    Location:
    ---------------
    I've been using an old Audio Research D 115 amp and SP 10 preamp to drive Martin Logan CLS IIZs which are much harder to drive. It's worked very well.
     
    Scott Wheeler, Aug 19, 2002
    #3
  4. sgb

    sgb Senior Member

    Location:
    Baton Rouge
    I once had a similar situation to this - driving original CLSes with the Quicksilver MS-190 - and yes the CLS is a far more difficult speaker to drive.

    I'm thinking that just about any quality tube amp of 80 - 200 watts and lots of capacitance will transport you to Nirvana.
     
    sgb, Aug 19, 2002
    #4
  5. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Wags,

    Much better!

    Welcome.

    Take a look at this link from my homepage:

    http://www.symposiumusa.com/MonRoom1.html

    The two amps in BACK, one on either side of the rack, are made by my buddy Grover Huffman. They have about 140 tube watts a channel and drive M.L.'s very nicely. In fact, they are the only tube amps I've ever heard that can drive those beasts with the "tube magic" sound I love. Not expensive either.

    Other than that, I don't know what to tell you. The amps I have in front of the picture (WAVAC HE-833's) also can drive the beasts, but are out of our league, money wise, eh?

    I've heard some SS amps that sound sweet on M.L's. The big SS McIntosh comes to mind. On the cheapo side, I once heard an Adcom 565 SS amp that sounded pretty darn good on them. That system used a tube line stage (can't remember the brand) with a bunch of Telefunken 12AX7's in it. Made the Adcom sound amazingly tube-like.
     
    Steve Hoffman, Aug 19, 2002
    #5
  6. Scott Wheeler

    Scott Wheeler Forum Resident

    Location:
    ---------------
    By the way I use the 16 ohm tap on my ARC D 115 even though the CLSs are rated at 4 ohms and go down to 1.5 in the extreme highs. It sounds better that way. On these speakers I have not heard any solid state amps that I liked. I think these speakers are mischaracterized by many based on SS amplification. And in case anyone was wondering I have heard them with Krells which is often Gayle Sander's choice of amp. (Rainman voice) tubes, tubes definity tubes gotta have tubes....
     
    Scott Wheeler, Aug 19, 2002
    #6
  7. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian

    Location:
    North York (Toronto) Ontario, Canada
    Just did a search of the Inmate Systems over at Audio Asylum and came up with about 85 systems using Martin Logan speakers. Might be a good idea to go over there and check out what people are using.
     
    Khorn, Sep 16, 2002
    #7
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