The speakers Pratim has described are all driven by tube amplification.
The Blumenhofers in Bangalore are driven by an amp and CDP (as Dr. Bass has just described, both from Einstein Audio and with tube components
Einstein - Audio Components). Our forum member Shaizada uses a tube phono pre-amp from Einstein Audio.
My huge bookshelf Cantons (approx 20kg each, 21 years old) are also driven by a tube amp (Leben CS300 amp)
Leben Hi-Fi Stereo Company
Pratim, thanks for an interesting comparison between my speakers and the Blumenhofers. At times I wonder if someday my speakers give up, which speakers I can get. Most speakers (other than my Cantons) I hear now have some kind of glaze around the sound which makes it kind of unnatural and I remain unsatisfied. The Emarald Physics CS3 I heard in Bombay this year did not have it, but the electronics driving them were so thin sounding, it was grossly unfair to the speakers and of course prevented me from a decent evaluation of the speakers. The Sadhnas were good at Prem's place in terms of dynamics and openness of the sound, however, according to Prem, the system was not at that point of time quite finely tuned because some cables were yet to burn in fully and apparently a few rough edges.
Pratim, do these Blumenhofers sound smooth? It's not easy to be dynamic, open, tonally well-balanced, with good imaging and soundstage, and very detailed but yet smooth (that is without being edgy). Please compare. You have heard quite a lot in the last year and have tremendously grown in experience.
Amit, my Cantons are 93.4 db/W/m, so very similar in the sensitivity department. Their nominal impedance is only 4 Ohms. The Lebens have a tap at 4 Ohm, and my amp drives those Cantons effortlessly and beautifully. However, sensitivity is just one parameter. Many ProAcs despite having lower sensitivity are driven very nicely by many low powered tube amps. The frequency vs impedance and phase vs impedance are two other perhaps more important pieces of information. A sudden dip of impedance at a certain frequency band would make a low powered amp clip (although because of the output transformers in case of tube amps they probably do not damage the speakers, but the amp can be harmed). Get those curves for the Blumenhofers. You may have to be a bit persuasive if you are seriously interested.
Regards.