What I was saying about the gain really comes down to how sensitive your speakers are. A few watts gained at 335w isn't going to make much difference but amps (especially used pieces) can get one channel that's a bit louder and throws off your sweet spot enough to bother the listener. So I was just basically saying you need to match output no matter what. I just tossed in "if there is any gain" since each amp works slightly different depending on if the power supply is regulated.
For me I have been bi a.ling with active crossovers to run 2 way hybrids and I had a small fire at my place that took out all kinds of stuff I had sitting ready to start selling. My Electrostats burned up, only 4 panels weren't melted out of 28 total panels.
To replace them I picked up some Martin Logan Aerius that I bypassed the internal crossovers and used active to get control over the crossover point, then realized they needed more to get them sounding like my last set. I modded them and they were pretty decent but always hunting for deals, I picked up a set of Martin Logan Prodigy's. One needed some attention and all is fine
Here's where I started to question any possible gain by bi-amping them. I found that they have to run with internal crossovers because they use an EQ circuit. But they have high and low inputs and when I have it thought, I need to use 2 x active crossovers if I wanted to keep things running correctly (set just higher or lower than the crossover to keep all sounds input) or I'd have to run an "Y" cable to run 2 amps. Or I could add an old dual 31 band EQ and use both XLR and ¼" cables to amps. That way there's an adjustable gain on that piece and no need for making a Y cable where the amps would get half or so of the available output from the source. Meaning of be running them with a higher noise floor.
After thinking I am now just using 1 amp for the set. I actually believe the sound is better with 1 amp than 2, until I get something that can add voltage for 4 XLR cables to run at full power, I'll keep it like this.
There is one difference with Electrostatic speakers in that the panels resistance is rated at 2.8Ω with dips to 1.8Ω, they have to run a very stable amp but the woofers are 4 or 8Ω so they can use a different type of amp but I only own high current due to running electrostats for years. Last multi amp configuration was 3 BGW 150s 2 in mono for bass and 1 in stereo for stats. I turned them up to Max and the sound was good but it plotted with a huge bass shelf. That's when I went with 1 amp that's 1Ω stable at 700w.
That amp will have an effect of huge output for the highs a less work for the lows but the amps circuits are made to compensate. Just because the highs are at 2Ω doesn't make the amps output change for the woofers (that might be at 8Ω) the lows stay at the same level. Having a high damping factor helps amps to keep control over most of the low movement. I won't say excursion because there's some speakers that barely move and they hit hard, others move wildly with 1" excursion and sound fat and flabby or have no bass at all just distortion.
The Prodigys have a mismatched (2 different Scan-Speak 10s) dual woofer system where 1 covers zero to 250Hz and the other plays a band pass within that range, I forget exactly what it is but it complicates any use of fully active control. What they claim I don't necessarily agree with their explanation about cancelling waves at a certain point because I'm seeing a huge dip at the crossover point (they say 250Hz) I reversed the woofers input and see exactly the same thing. So that means it's within the woofer arrangement. I just discovered all this today and haven't gotten inside the woofer cabinets yet to see if I bypass the entire woofer crossover and see if the dip goes away. I bet it will.
This all ended up with me doing EQ setting (and realized there's an issue with MLs ideas, they're not known for making a good bass output and I think they're over thinking it) and came looking for explanations on running multiple full range amps from one source. This was interesting so I read it.
