Tube-friendly speakers

acalex

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Good afternoon everybody...

I would like to collect all models of speakers which you would consider adapt to a tube amplifier. I currently have a Jadis DA50 which is 35W only and would like to try to hear its full potential before chosing the right speakers.

I guess a tube-friendly speakers would need to have an high nominal impedence (so an 8 Ohm would be better than a nominal 4 Ohm I guess), ideally flat impedance and high sensitivity (over 90db). Is that right?

Please do not hesitate to write down technical comments as well on what I said!

Thanks a lot
 

DocG

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Hi Alex,

As for the impedance, I think 'flat' is more important than 'high'. And as I understand it, a benign impedance can make up for a somewhat lower sensitivity. So with some 86 dB/W/m, I think Harbeths might still work out fine.

Unless you consider mixing your tubes with class D a blasphemy, I also suggest the (semi-active) GoldenEar Triton Twos. I think they can be auditioned in your favourite shop in Brussels. They are no lookers as Sonus Fabers are, though, more the functional type, but they can help a modestly powered amp to rock.

And then, there's the Devores, of course.

Erik
 

Rethep

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I don't know which music you like and how loud you want to listen and how big your room is.

If you like "rough music", tubes would never really give the energy. If you don't listen loud and/or your room is medium to small, then your 35 watts is no problem, and you do't even need high efficiency speakers.

There are a lot of speakers not especially meant for tubes that will do very well in practice. The ease of drive is also important (impedance esp. in the lower freq.)

Audio Notes are very well for tubes they say, but i never heard them. If you combine any "musical sounding" speaker with tubes, the result should be very good.
 

acalex

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DocG said:
Hi Alex,

As for the impedance, I think 'flat' is more important than 'high'. And as I understand it, a benign impedance can make up for a somewhat lower sensitivity. So with some 86 dB/W/m, I think Harbeths might still work out fine.

Unless you consider mixing your tubes with class D a blasphemy, I also suggest the (semi-active) GoldenEar Triton Twos. I think they can be auditioned in your favourite shop in Brussels. They are no lookers as Sonus Fabers are, though, more the functional type, but they can help a modestly powered amp to rock.

And then, there's the Devores, of course.

Erik

Erik, thanks a lot for your considerations! I might want to listen to the GoldenEar Triton as I have read impressive reviews on these speakers! If they are available in Bx than great!
 

acalex

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chebby said:
How loud do you want them to go?

Chebby, not that loud. It is just for listening not for throwing parties. Mix of jazz, blues, old rock, nothing too heavy nor disco or house music

The room is not so big 4x4 mt more or less...
 

acalex

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Rethep said:
I don't know which music you like and how loud you want to listen and how big your room is.

If you like "rough music", tubes would never really give the energy. If you don't listen loud and/or your room is medium to small, then your 35 watts is no problem, and you do't even need high efficiency speakers.

There are a lot of speakers not especially meant for tubes that will do very well in practice. The ease of drive is also important (impedance esp. in the lower freq.)

Audio Notes are very well for tubes they say, but i never heard them. If you combine any "musical sounding" speaker with tubes, the result should be very good.

Thanks for your insight.

I am listening mainly to vinyls now and music collection is composed of lot of jazz, lot of vocals, acoustic guitars, light rock, a bit of country, blues...not at all hard rock, metal, house, disco, hip-hop.

Room is around 4x4 and actually with the speakers I have I never go over 9 o clock...
 

oldric_naubhoff

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Avangarde Acoustic (high sensitivity horns; I reckon Uno will be enough for your needs)

Analysis Audio (the larger the easier on the amp; Amphytrion is flat 6 Ohm load with no amp wrecking electrical phase shift)

Quad ESL and Audiostatic MDi (although Quads are capacitive loads but above 6 Ohms over most of the audioband and dipping at 3.8 Ohm at 11K Hz. Audiostatic are even easier, dipping at 5 Ohms in treble region. however, other ESLs that I know are very tough for tube amps).

DeVore Orangutan O/96
 

egoBen

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One tiny little problem that I find with all these "easy to drive speakers" are the looks, and size. They sure don't look very modern, to say least. Still, I personally kind of like the good old Harbeth looks (without the grille preferably) but it might not just suit a modern black n white home. Currently, I have got two pair of speakers. The first one, Dynaudio Focus 160, are very hard to drive, especially for a tube amp, but they make poor sounding good ol' rock n roll sound terrific, big, full and nice sounding. For more modern music, I use a pair of finish speakers, the beautiful Amphion Argon 2 anniversary. They are also supposed to never dip below 7 ohms. That's my recommendation. These are bookshelf speakers, floor standers might be easier to drive.
 

tino

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* Living Voice Auditorium

* Art Deco / Moderne

* Zingali Zero / Twenty Two

* Vintage or DIY speakers ... lots to choose if you have the space

Personally, with 35W I think anything over 88 dB or so should be OK at normal volumes.

I have 15W(ish) valve amplifier with 89dB speakers and the volume is more than adequate for my room (I use 1/4 volume)
 

CnoEvil

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I think it's just a matter of rounding up suggestions made over the last while:

Living Voice

Audio Note

JM Renaud

Devore

Harbeth

Blumenhofer Acoustics (wild card - I like the name)

Possibly Proac

ART (thx to Tino)
 
A

Anonymous

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I drive 84db and 4 ohm speakers with a tubeamp. A good designed tube amp can drive almost any load. It is more a matter of a good design ( output transformers ) than the amount of Watts it delivers. Your Jadis should have the ability to do so.
 

Roby

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kungula said:
Cno Evil mentioned many already, I just would like to add:

Klipsch, Cabasse, Heco, Dynavox, some Epos

It's personal I kow but....Heco & Klipsh would kill de Jadis (certenly with the sound I think Alex is afther) I had a pair of RF82 at home for a few weeks 3 I think... I returned them because the only thing you get is rubish boom no music....at least that was my expirience

Maybe the higher range is better (actualy I heard a pair of floordtanders once who impresed me in a HI FI show bud couln't listen for long...
 

acalex

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Ocean37 said:
I drive 84db and 4 ohm speakers with a tubeamp. A good designed tube amp can drive almost any load. It is more a matter of a good design ( output transformers ) than the amount of Watts it delivers. Your Jadis should have the ability to do so.

I also think so...thanks a lot for confirmation
 

acalex

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egoBen said:
One tiny little problem that I find with all these "easy to drive speakers" are the looks, and size. They sure don't look very modern, to say least. Still, I personally kind of like the good old Harbeth looks (without the grille preferably) but it might not just suit a modern black n white home. Currently, I have got two pair of speakers. The first one, Dynaudio Focus 160, are very hard to drive, especially for a tube amp, but they make poor sounding good ol' rock n roll sound terrific, big, full and nice sounding. For more modern music, I use a pair of finish speakers, the beautiful Amphion Argon 2 anniversary. They are also supposed to never dip below 7 ohms. That's my recommendation. These are bookshelf speakers, floor standers might be easier to drive.

Yes...I definitely agree with you on this one!!! A lot of good suggestion here...but if we have also to match design is not such a long list. Most of the speakers which are supposed to be tube-friendly are not that nice to see...and for me (my gf mainly) this is a very important aspect of the "game". She doesn't mind how many amplifiers/hi-tech stuff I bring inside the house...but everything has to look nice... :shifty:
 

acalex

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Ah, btw this is going to be my official thread on speakers hunting...which basically started today!

Went with Rob to listen to the Kef ref 205/2 and, by chance, we had a good listen to the Cabasse Pacific SA3, huge glossy black speakers (the Kef 205/2 looked small compared to them) which are supposed to be 8 ohm speakers (dropping to 4 as a min impedance) with 91.5db sensitivity....and wow!!!

More on this later...stay tuned folks! :boohoo:
 

CnoEvil

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acalex said:
....we had a good listen to the Cabasse Pacific SA3, huge glossy black speakers (the Kef 205/2 looked small compared to them) which are supposed to be 8 ohm speakers (dropping to 4 as a min impedance) with 91.5db sensitivity....and wow!!!

I assume it was these rather interesting beasties: http://www.whathifi.com/blog/cabasse-pacific-3-launch-in-paris
 

acalex

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CnoEvil said:
acalex said:
....we had a good listen to the Cabasse Pacific SA3, huge glossy black speakers (the Kef 205/2 looked small compared to them) which are supposed to be 8 ohm speakers (dropping to 4 as a min impedance) with 91.5db sensitivity....and wow!!!

I assume it was these rather interesting beasties: http://www.whathifi.com/blog/cabasse-pacific-3-launch-in-paris

It actually was very very interesting. Not very long listening session as Roby came late :roll: and the guy had another demo after.

We had opportunity to have a back to back comparison between kef ref and cabasse...and to our surprise the cabasse was better almost every time. Cabasse is a semi active with bass compartment driven by a dedicated 450w amplifier. The cabasse was more room filling and had a more upfront presentation without becoming too bright or fatiguing. Both are very transparent speakers with the cabasse being slightly faster then the kef. Amplifier was a plinths sa103 and audio lab as cd player.

The size of the cabasse might be the downside as I think these speakers really need bigger space to offer their full potential.

We decided to come back one day with our respective amplifiers to see how both these speakers will perform in a longer listening session. The hunt is starting...the update will probably be happening beginning of 2013...will be fun!
 

lindsayt

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Arthur Salvatore's excellent website has a list of speakers suitable for low powered SET amplifiers:

AcuHorn rosso superiore175

Affirm (formerly Maxxhorn) Lumination & Immersion

Apogee Acoustics Definitive Ribbon Speaker (very expensive)

Aspara Acoustics HL1 Horn Speaker

Audio Note ANE SEC Signature

Avantgarde Duo and Trio (All Versions)

BD-Design Oris and Orphean Models

Bottlehead Straight 8s (Discontinued)

Brentworth Sound Lab

Cain & Cain BEN ES (and other models)

Coincident (Total) Victory II (and most of their other models)

Decware (Various Models)

(DIY Hi-Fi Supply) Crescendo Ribbon Horn Speaker System

Fab Audio Model 1 (Toronto, Canada)

FAL Supreme-C90 EXW or EXII

Goodmans of England 5 or 612s

Horn Shoppe (Two Models)

Horning Hybrids (Various models)

Hoyt-Bedford Speakers

Klipschorn and La Scala (All Versions)

Living Voice OBX-R2 (UK)

Omega Speaker Systems

Pi Speakers (Various Models)

Prometheus II

RL Acoustique Lamhorn 1.8 (Montreal, Canada)

Sonist Concerto 2

Sunlight Engineering 308

Supravox Open Baffle

Teresonic (Various Models)

Tonian Acoustics (Various Models)

Vaughn Zinfandel

WLM (Various Models)

Zingali Horns

Zu Defintion


To which I would also add: Altec Model 19, VOTT plus various other Altec models from the 1950's to 1980's, Vitavox corner horns, EV Sentry III and EV Patrician (various versions) to the list. There are a few JBL 44xx and 43xx models that would be fine with low powered valve amps too, plus a few more that would fine with 35w valve amps.

Many of these are genuinely good speakers and would sound great with solid state or valve push pull amplification.

There are low powered valve amp and speaker combinations that sound great with rough music like Alien Sex Fiend. The trick is to find a combination with good bass - which can be the Achilles Heel of high efficiency speakers and valve amps.
 

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