Pass Design to Drive ESLs?

[Karl71]

Nelson -

Any suggestions as to which of your designs would drive a pair of Just Real Music Model .5 ESL panels? They spec at 2.5 Ohms min. at 12 Khz and have a nominal 6 Ohm impedence. I will cross over at 375 Hz to a 10" Seas 25F-EW woofer (Dynaco A-25 replacement). According to the builder, the sensitivity is ~ 86dB.

Of course, simpler the better. I have a 680 VA toroid with dual 30V, 10A sec.

Thanks,

Karl Lewis

 

[PixelPlay]

I have a pair of DIY aleph 2's running a set of ESL's (eraudio acorns) and I love them.

 

[vitalstates]

This question seems to have been asked many times in the past. try a search for 'amp for esl' or something similar in the pass forum.

here are a couple of examples

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14509&highlight=


http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1045&highlight=


I don't think its optimal but fwiw I sometimes drive my ESLs(eraudio ESLlll) with my F4, its gloriously musical even though it might be cosidered a budget approach, both from cost and power perspectives.

regards

Ed

 

[thinkbad]

The A75 can cope with low impedance loads and that is what Pass recommends for ESL`s

JB

 

[thinkbad]

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=97454&highlight=

 

[Nelson Pass]

The XA.5 series is the most ideal at this point, but as a DIY, the A75
is your best best, I think.

 

[oltos]

Driving ESL IIIs & Acorns with First Watt F4 amp

This question seems to have been asked many times in the past. try a search for 'amp for esl' or something similar in the pass forum.

example:

Pass Amps and ESL speakers - diyAudio

I don't think its optimal but fwiw I sometimes drive my ESLs(eraudio ESLlll) with my F4, its gloriously musical even though it might be considered a budget approach, both from cost and power perspectives.

regards Ed

Ed, since the F4 amp has no voltage gain, how much unbalanced (stereo) rms signal voltage are you using to drive Rob Mackinlay's ESL IIIs??

Would you know how low your bass response goes?

Would it all sound great in a room as small as 12 ft x 14 ft?

Do you think the F4 would work just as well driving the Acorns?

 

[vitalstates]

Hi Oltos

this thread is 7 years old and my memory is a bit flaky so I'm not going to be much help here. My ESLs have been in storage since 2010 to protect them from a rampaging infant. All I can remember is that they worked well, against my expectations, in a 12 x 14 room. In truth it wasn't a serious experiment so I don't have any specific notes about it.

I would not recommend that you build an A4 on my say so though....better maybe to go with A75 as has been mentioned.

Ed

 

[oltos]

Pair of F4 amps to drive Acorns?

I have a pair of DIY aleph 2's running a set of ESL's (eraudio acorns) and I love them.

The specs on a pair of Aleph 2s' show that its clearly capable of driving the Acorns. Two F4 amps can each be configured as either balanced mono (up to 100w into 8 ohms) or unbalanced mono (up to 100w into 2 ohms).

If a line stage could deliver 26V rms balanced to each F4 amp, could they drive the 86db Acorns well enough to realize their claimed 35 to 30Hz bass response in a 12 ft by 14 ft room?