Amp under $300 to drive Martin Logan Aerius i Electrostats?

J

Jschatz

MichaelJ
Is this possible? I'm obviously talking used stuff here.

I scored the speakers cheap ($300)and I've challenged myself to keep the system cost down (it's a man cave set up).

There are lots of older receivers in this price range with 100-130 watts @ 8 ohms (these are are 4 ohm speakers) and some NADs at 60-80 wpc with the Power Envelope thing but these may not be serious enough stuff.

Also, a remote would be nice.
 
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You might try looking for an Adcom GFA 535. Mosfet, tube-like sound, able to handle low impedance loads. 100 or so watts per channel with lots of headroom. Excellent reviews. If the hoity-toities at Stereophile like it, it must be good. If you get lucky, you might even be able to find a GFA 555 for that money. 200 w/ch and of the same quality.
 
The 535 is 60 wpc.
The 545 is 100 wpc

The 545 can be had for cheap on the bay. Plus it can handle 4 ohm loads with ease. I had one for many years.

Check out the Nad amps too. I like their sound even better. Plus they have even more headroom. Around the same prices as the Adcoms.
 
The Acurus A150 and A200 always seemed to work well for this job.

I've seen A150s under $300.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
You can find Adcom GFA 555 amps close to $300. and they will drive 4ohm speakers without even breathing hard. 200wpc @8ohms / 325wpc @ 4ohms. I use mine to drive a pair of Mirage OMD-15's which are 6ohms.
 
Careful with running anything in bridged mono. Bridged amps see half of the impedance load. I found that out the hard way.....
 
I got a a Soundcraftsmen PA50001 250 watt per channel amp for 175. A SC amp would whip those babies right into shape. :)
 
you looking for just a power amp, or an integrated amp (amp/preamp)

just an amp, I'd look for a pair of later model marantz monoblocks....
 
A great performer at it's price point:

Hafler DH-500

All mosfet and 255 watts/ch. It is one of the few SS amps I can listen to. OOps that sounded snobby.:scratch2:
 
In the early 1990's Acoustat was bought by Hafler, which was shortly thereafter bought by Rockford Fosgate. Jim Strickland was the owner of Acoustat, and he designed an amplifier circuit called the Trans Nova for his amplifiers that were designed to be used with electrostatic speakers, namely the Acoustat.

Hafler incorporated his circuit into their last generation of amps, and I believe Rockford also used the circuit in at least one amplifier. There are a few that come up from time to time in the $300 range, or a bit more. The Trans Nova circuit is also used in the Hafler Pro line of amps. So take a look for a TA1600, 9505, 9303, P3000, or P1500. You may get lucky and find one that fits your price point.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
GordonW said:
The Acurus A150 and A200 always seemed to work well for this job.

I've seen A150s under $300.

Regards,
Gordon.
Click to expand...

+1 The A200's run cool at 4 ohms 300w/channel
Regards,
Jim
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I've already found 3 Adcoms in my price range.

Thinking about using a Denon AVR-2805 as a pre-amp, just because I have it. Thoughts?.....
 
Chiefpa said:
You can find Adcom GFA 555 amps close to $300. and they will drive 4ohm speakers without even breathing hard. 200wpc @8ohms / 325wpc @ 4ohms. I use mine to drive a pair of Mirage OMD-15's which are 6ohms.
Click to expand...

I picked one up just yesterday privately for $250 (the seller's full asking price). :thmbsp:
 
I'm new to this forum and inexperienced with high-end audio as well. The only audio equipment I've purchased was a Yamaha HTiB and some Polk audio bookshelf speakers.
So with that in mind, I am considering buying a pair of used Martin Logan Aerius i locally for super cheap - $150. From the pictures and the description the speakers seem to be in good condition.
I am hoping to listen to them before hand, so is there anything I should listen or look for to indicate excessive wear and tear? Again, I'm really new to this.

As far as an amp for the speakers would any of you suggest what has been mentioned above? I've looked into a few of Adcom's on ebay and the price seems reasonable. Do those amps tend to fair over time? How risky is it to buy a used amp?

I know I have lots of questions, any help would be appreciated.
 
Electrostatic impedances can get real low, way below 4 ohms in high frequencies. So you better look for amps rated to 2 ohms and below. And cheap receivers aren't the answer. The speakers are in efficient so unless you have a small room with close listening distances, low power isn't going to work either. Crown DC-150a can drive 2 ohms, as can it big brother the DC300A. Other Crowns can, too, but not always, check published specs. Accuphase, and 7100 and 7200 Mac amps will work down to 1 ohm with out autoformers. The 7100 can be a steal. So can MC 2120, and 2155, as they don't have meters. They have 2 ohm taps but will handle below that with autoformers. A Mac MA 6200 integrated will drive 2 ohms and has Power Guard to protect itself and your speakers.
 
Look into Hafler to get you started. If you get more cash down the line there are many upgrade kits to take it to higher performance levels.
 
I had a pair. They're not hard to drive. I used a Yamaha M-60 which isn't a particularly stable amp and it worked fine.
 
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