Electrostatics

[Jwg1749]

I take a different view of this. I've had ML Montis for 18 months now. Initially I ran them with a D200. I found the top end really scratchy and the sound generally rather thin: a lot of recordings were simply painful to listen to. I thought the problem might be a lack of power: MLs are known to respond well to very powerful amps, as the impedance is shockingly low at high frequencies.

So I got a D200 Companion on loan, thinking the D400 would do the job. There was no real improvement. At the same time I got a Sanders Magtech on demo. It's a 500W Class A/B power amp that's designed specifically to drive electrostatics. (Sturdy power supply and twenty output stages, which deliver the voltage that ESLs crave.) I found the Magtech superior to the D400 in every way: smoother top end, flatter FR, more holographic soundstage. I bought the Magtech to drive the Montis.

I still have the D200, which drives a pair of Vivid V1.5s in my second system. And I remain a big Devialet fan: I've since bought a pair of Silver Phantoms for the holiday cottage. But I'd advise everyone who owns Martin Logans to try a really beefy amp like the Sanders Magtech. Anyone within reach of west London would be welcome for a comparative demo.