Single-ended amps with Martin Logans

you will never drive the ML's with 5 watts. That's not the way to use low powered SET. Try the Llano trinity amps. they are Single ended and use a tubed input sections. They can drive anytihng and sound wonderful! mike

You can "do" anything you want. Like driving Thiels, Magnepans, Acoustats, Apogees, B & W Nautilus, and Martin Logans with SETs, OTLs, whatever. Whether or not it will be a good match is another story. In this case, it will not produce a whole lot of volume, bass, etc. In these situations, modest Jolida or NAD equipment with a $300 B & W, Mission, NHT, Paradigm, Polk, or PSB speaker often will sound better. So, a well thought out $1000 system CAN beat a poorly matched $5000(and up) system.

YOU MUST BE KIDDING!!! The only single ended amp that will drive those is a solid state Pass. I owned the Aerius. I also own and have owned many single ended triode tube amps. You need different speakers if you really want to experience single ended triodes.

yeah, all the other posts r right on. it's like your trying to power a neon with a honda lawnmower engine. (i might have used farraris and yugos in my analogy , but the aerius is no farrari. it may b closer 2 a yugo. but, like everything here, that's just my opinion, erudite as it may b.)

I am not very familiar with the impedenc characteristics of ML, but am quite familiar with Soundlab electro-stats. To my knowledge there are only two SET amps that will drive the Soundlabs and sound absolutely glorious: the Viva and the Wavac-833. Th Viva has something like 30 watts Class A while the Wavac has 100 watts. Both are terribly expensive: $24000 for the Viva and $38000 for th Wavac. I believe Albert Porter is selling a pair of the Viva's at a good price. Thats about it for real world SET amps to drive the demanding loads of an electrostat.