Matching SET Amps to Speakers

[miniguy]

What is the most important speaker characteristic for optimising compatibility with low power SET amps - efficiency or impedance/phase angle?

 

[Music and Wine]

Both and unfortunately everything.The less watts you got the smaller the choice of speakers become.If you got 50 watt single ended you biggest worry is impedance and phase angle,because 50watt single ended sounds like 500watts.It also depends on the amp some 300b got really excellent drive,it all depends how they are designed.

The less power you got ,the more worries,but not impossible,some people got excellent results with even 1 or 2 watts,but then you have to worry about,the efficiency and impedance and electrical phase angle,just more things to take into consideration .

Big advice,listen before you buy.
Cheers

 

[DasguteOhr]

First three small questions, how big is your room? Monitors or large floorstanding speakers? how watt is your favorite SET tube amp?

What I say from my own experience is the Reference 3 A Speakers very well with SET amps, although they only have 91-94 db. because they have no crossover in the bass and midrange, only the tweeter has a capacitor. they work very well with 2A3 tubes, but you need at least 15 watts to hear really loud.

I had the Reference 3A MM Da capo

 

[Addicted to hifi]

First three small questions, how big is your room? Monitors or large floorstanding speakers? how watt is your favorite SET tube amp?

What I say from my own experience is the Reference 3 A Speakers very well with SET amps, although they only have 91-94 db. because they have no crossover in the bass and midrange, only the tweeter has a capacitor. they work very well with 2A3 tubes, but you need at least 15 watts to hear really loud.
View attachment 83622
I had the Reference 3A MM Da capo

Nice speakers that I had the pleasure of hearing.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Nice speakers that I had the pleasure of hearing.

Yes. I had a lot of fun with my DIY tube amplifiers and these speakers
if you want to get into the top league, you have to take Bastani's Open Baffle Speakers. for me these speakers are among the top 3 speakers I've ever heard.

Products

www.bastanis.com

 

[Verdier]

And the other 2?

 

[DasguteOhr]

And the other 2?

Magnepan Tympani IV powered by 4 Gryphon s100 amps, the attack and the transparency are incredible. I wanted to listen to the TW Acustic tonearm with different pickups, I was at Thomas Woschnik's home. I've heard his Cessaro Beta, the dynamics and bass are as close to life as I haven't heard them anywhere else. I didn't listen to music at home for a week after that so as not to ruin this memory

 

[miniguy]

First three small questions, how big is your room? Monitors or large floorstanding speakers? how watt is your favorite SET tube amp?

What I say from my own experience is the Reference 3 A Speakers very well with SET amps, although they only have 91-94 db. because they have no crossover in the bass and midrange, only the tweeter has a capacitor. they work very well with 2A3 tubes, but you need at least 15 watts to hear really loud.
View attachment 83622
I had the Reference 3A MM Da capo

Just thinking about setting up a second system in a 24 sq room using 9W 300B SET. Horns are out of the question.

 

[bonzo75]

Just thinking about setting up a second system in a 24 sq room using 9W 300B SET. Horns are out of the question.

If horns are out of the question go with devore orangutans and NAF 2a3 integrated which is 10 watts or so. Devore sounded great with both that and airtight 300b and your LPs will flow through, each LP will sound different. The system is very simple and transparent and let's you get into the beauty of the recordings. You need space from the walls and from the sides for the speakers

 

[miniguy]

If horns are out of the question go with devore orangutans and NAF 2a3 integrated which is 10 watts or so. Devore sounded great with both that and airtight 300b and your LPs will flow through, each LP will sound different. The system is very simple and transparent and let's you get into the beauty of the recordings. You need space from the walls and from the sides for the speakers

Was that the O/96 or O/93?

 

[DasguteOhr]

My recommendation both work very well with 300b, living voice r3r or ibx r4 wonderful timbres and resolution. Or Audio Note AN-E is very emotionally engaging.

AN-E Speakers | Audio Note (UK)

www.audionote.co.uk

Living Voice IBX R4

Floorstanding Loudspeakers /pair

www.technologyfactory.eu

 

[bonzo75]

Was that the O/96 or O/93?

96. Much prefer it to both the smaller living voice OB and AN E. AN E actually sound the best with SS. Best I heard them with was Ayre pre and power, the guy was an AN E nut who advised that but it worked

 

[bonzo75]

I have also heard orangutans with silvercore 833c 20w, jadis 100w integrated, a German 300b amp running the 520 valves, in the same room as NAF. In another room with kondo overture and in another room with the airtight 300b and el34. It works best in that 10 to 12 watts range. Much better than the Cessaro Wagner in the same room (cessaro you have to go beta and above to get good sound).

Art Dudley had it for 18 months or so before purchasing it, he loved it that much.

 

[Cableman]

Pound for pound the Audiopax model 88 30W/ch will drive just about anything. The problem? It’s timbre lock device. How do you set it absolutely correctly? You can’t. It’s near impossible to get right. There is a way but you won’t like it.

 

[DasguteOhr]

should also work well with SET amps but I haven't heard it yet. very sensitive around 100dB / 1watt

High efficiency hi-fi loudspeakers | Zu Audio | USA Made Hi-Fi Speakers and Audio Cable

High efficiency home audio loudspeakers designed and built with American quality and innovation.

www.zuaudio.com

 

[Cableman]

oh. Zu speakers work brilliantly with Audiopax amps. The Zu guys came to a room I was running at CES back in the day. They were enthralled, stayed for an hour. As did the then CEO of Audiopax Mr de Lima RIP

 

[miniguy]

I have also heard orangutans with silvercore 833c 20w, jadis 100w integrated, a German 300b amp running the 520 valves, in the same room as NAF. In another room with kondo overture and in another room with the airtight 300b and el34. It works best in that 10 to 12 watts range. Much better than the Cessaro Wagner in the same room (cessaro you have to go beta and above to get good sound).

Art Dudley had it for 18 months or so before purchasing it, he loved it that much.

Dudley bought the 96 or 93?

 

[bonzo75]

Don't recollect as he has written about both. If you google art dudley devore orangutan you will see a lot of articles.

 

[Verdier]

If horns are out of the question go with devore orangutans and NAF 2a3 integrated which is 10 watts or so. Devore sounded great with both that and airtight 300b and your LPs will flow through, each LP will sound different. The system is very simple and transparent and let's you get into the beauty of the recordings. You need space from the walls and from the sides for the speakers

Bonzo, how much space to the side and to the rear do you think is enough?

A dealer told me that it was important to have 5' to the rear and 1.5' to the side. But I'm not sure if he actually tried it or if he's just talking.

 

[bazelio]

If horns are out of the question go with devore orangutans and NAF 2a3 integrated which is 10 watts or so.

And 5% THD.