tube amps and electrostatics

Bifwynne, I have to admit that on some level I agree, finding suitable amplifier compatibility for ESL's seems to be a bit daunting. While I've admired some of the qualities in ESL's in the past, certain aspects have kept me apart from them. I've yet to hear the mixing and matching of conventional drivers with them in the effort to negate the often heard deficiencies in bass response and macro dynamics done successfully. Still, they do seem to offer some superiority in other areas. In the past, I have attributed my perception of uneven frequency response in ESL's due to the challenge of properly coupling their somewhat unique dispersion patterns to the rooms they're placed in. Perhaps that was misplaced. Was the uneven frequency response I've experienced due to amplification issues? Though these challenges might be too much for me to overcome, I can still understand why some would be attracted to ESL's, despite these observations. Furthermore, I have still yet to hear the a couple of the most very favorably reviewed brands, so I keep an open mind to their ultimate capabilities.

Frogman, your post of 12-5 here is one of the best of the kind I have seen on this site - thanks!

Autoformers in finished boxes showed as costing over a grand. A barebones version would be less i suppose. Es speakers can be pricey, so its all relative i suppose.

Mapman, your original comment was

Autoformers cost more than many speakers themselves. That's a factor to consider in the equation that can't be ignored.

If you're talking about some of the smallest hybrid ESLs on the market, especially purchased used, you may have a point, but that is not 'many' compared to prices of ESLs currently manufactured and certainly not the majority no matter how you slice it.

Thanks Al.... Headphones is where my wife wants me to go. When my wife begs me to lower the gain, and then violates the serene sanctity of my blessed man-cave when she does so, I promise to turn the rig down, but turn it back up even higher when she leaves. LOL :)

Clearly Al, you are much more the gentleman than me because you switch over to headphones so as not to "conflict with [your] wife's activities." AL, ... I'm 19-year old child trapped in a 60-year old body -- just like a rat trapped in a steel cage.

I get the idea that negative phase angles coupled with low impedance attributes in a speaker's bass frequencies makes for a difficult to drive load. But good ole' George dropped a new term on us tech newbies, "EPDR (equivalent peak dissipation resistance)." Que'est ce se mon amies??? [What does it mean my friends?]

All the best guys. And ok, I'll put ESLs back on the speaker possibility list.

Regards,

Bruce

"EPDR (equivalent peak dissipation resistance)." Que'est ce se mon amies??? [What does it mean my friends?]"

It is used by technical measurers like Keith Howard of HiFi news & Record Review, and John Atkinson of Stereophile when they review and then measure speakers. Because just a low impedance measurement does not reveal all that the amplifiers is seeing as a load.

The lowest EPDR (combind resistance and phase angle) of say the Wilson Alexia when measured by Keith Howard of HiFi News was a low impedance of 1.8ohms at 65hz and a lowest phase dip of negative -40degrees also at 65hz. These two measurements combined gave the Alexia a load to the amplifier of .9 of an ohm at 65hz. Big difference to just 1.8ohm resistive load.
You can read all about it here.

http://www.absolutesounds.com/pdf/main/press/WA%20Alexia%20HFN%200313-4web.pdf

Cheers George