Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Sanders Sound Systems ESL amplifier Amplifier (SS) by cmk

Model:	ESL amplifier
Category:	Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price:	$3995
Description:	Voltage amplifier designed to drive ESL and dynamic speakers
Manufacturer URL:	Sanders Sound Systems
Model Picture:	View

Review by cmk on August 24, 2007 at 23:50:46
IP Address: 165.21.154.16 Add Your Review
for the ESL amplifier

I happen to chance upon this amp one afternoon at the local dealer's showroom, driving a pair of Vandersteen 2CE SigIIs. Initial impressions were that it was physically reminiscent of Coda amps, which was a good start point, I had always liked Coda's purity of treble. Siting down for a brief listen was a "mistake", I was taken back by the amp's ultra clean treble, free of hash, vocals had a palpable presence, and the bass was just amazing, tight fisted control, deep and tuneful. Up till then, I had never heard the 2CEs with such performance, and as a previous owner of the 2CE Sig, I knew what they sounded like.

Upon reaching home, I was haunted by the pure sounds from the Vandies, so pristine and pure. I had to get a home trial/demo to confirm if it was really the amp that was responsible.

Carrying it back, I heard something rocking internally and thought something had come loose. It turned out to be the ultra big transformer, and was told that I could tighten the screw below. After I fired up the unit, it worked fine, so I left it at that.

Having used tube amps for sometime (the more linear sort), I was used to having some body in the music and felt that accurately rendered a performance. Putting the ESL amp in place, it had the same body but gave some further insight into the music, little details popped out, largely due to the dark background that now surrounded each performer.

On the Cabasse Baltics, the treble took on greater clarity, cymbals ringed without sounding harsh or distorted. In the all important midrange, where tonal accuracy is paramount, instruments had body, presence, impact was heightened, and decay seemed to be lengthened. Each instrument seemed to occupy a distinct place, while the soundstage extended beyond the speaker and room boundaries. But the tone of each instrument could be heard as never before...I mean I could tell if it was a grand piano or an upright playing. The sounds were similar to really good SE tube or SS amps, think Lamm and Dartzeel and you get an idea of what I mean.

Bass in my system is reproduced by the powered Thor sub, fed in parallel with the main speakers via Anticable speaker wires. Here I also noticed a distinct tightening up of the entire bass region. Bass notes went deeper, with greater definition and weight.

One of my key goals was to try to re-create life-like dynamics and impact. How else do you get the sense of a real performance in your room if you cannot feel it? The start of a note should be incisive to give this impact. With this amp, I did not feel any lack of power, compression, driving 93db/w speakers of course made it an easy load. Nevertheless, the Baltics are very reveiling of up stream components so I never felt anything was amiss. Instrumental decay lingered on till the black silence of the "end of track".

Does it sound like a tube or SS amp? Well neigther, and both. It was the purity of tone so typical of SE tube amps in the treble and mids, while it also possess the tight fisted control of the bass typical of SS amps. Yet the whole musical reproduction sound coherent and altogether musical. This amp is different from typical power amps going before, its neither hot - like class A amps, but sounds cleaner than a typical class A amp. I would suggest a read of the Sanders' white paper on their ESL amps to understand what he has done. I'm convinced.

Violence is the last resort of the incompetent - Isaac Asimov.
http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/3994.html

Product Weakness:	Too low profile.
Product Strengths:	Purity of tone, viselike bass grip, dynamics and power to boot.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Sanders ESL stereo amp
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): ModWright SWLP 9.0
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Scheu DL2>Conductor>AT33PTG, Denon A11>Benchmark DAC1
Speakers: Cabasse Baltic/Thor II
Cables/Interconnects: Slinkylinks
Music Used (Genre/Selections): v
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 16 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments: Velvet Curtain placed behind speakers
Time Period/Length of Audition: A few months.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): PS P300
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Sanders ESL stereo amp
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	ModWright SWLP 9.0
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Scheu DL2>Conductor>AT33PTG, Denon A11>Benchmark DAC1
Speakers:	Cabasse Baltic/Thor II
Cables/Interconnects:	Slinkylinks
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	v
Room Size (LxWxH):	15 x 16 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	Velvet Curtain placed behind speakers
Time Period/Length of Audition:	A few months.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS P300
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner