Bookshelf speakers that pair well with Decware ZMA

Great choice! With your budget and listening distance (practically nearfield), you would be well served to give the DeVore 3XL a try. With your budget you can also add the custom stands! 

The ZMA puts out 40w of push pull, dual mono power so anything 87db and over should be fine. Reference 3A de-Capo are a favorite. Have you also considered Steve's DM945's? Don't know the build time on those, though. And Fritz makes speakers that would also match up with the ZMA. 

I just touted Fritz on another thread, but he told me once that he loves his Decware amp with his speakers. They're made in a way that play extremely nicely with tubes. You might call him to discuss. Other than that, I'd be curious about Omega, Zu, Devore (pricey!), and perhaps some open baffle stuff. Eminent might work well, too.

Talk to Steve D. about his transducers.

Never a fan of bookshelf.  I assume you'll be using a sub or 2 with them.   I've been playing with a DHT amp so I moved my ZMA into my second system just for fun and was surprised to hear it drive a pair of old Martin Logan CLS very, very well.  The ZMA is a beast.  I use a sub with my CLS is why I mentioned it.  

I know CLS isn't a booksheff but my point is since you'll be using a sub anyway, you have a lot of choices of speakers.

Jerry

I have the Hertiage Specials and that would be a killer sound with the ZMA amp. I have owned speakers that were alot more expensive than the Hertiage Specials  but the Dynaudio speaker is really a great balanced speaker.   Feed it well and you will be rewarded.

Btw my room is 14 x 18 with 11ft ceiling.

"I’d love to try Harbeth at some point but have heard they are better with high powered solid-state amps so I guess that’ll be another system and another time."

I beg to differ. I’ve owned every Harbeth minus the M40 and they are all outstanding with tube amplification! Where did you hear that?

I'll second the recommendation of the Reference 3A de-Capo. I drive mine with a 20 watt Raven Audio Blackhawk LE and find the combination to suit me better than any combination of the many I've owned.

I be third to suggest Ref 3A de Capos, use them with my Decware Mini Torii as well as a Primaluna PL2 and no trouble driving them, good bass clean detailed

Looks like I’ll definitely have to read up on the Fritz and Ref 3a de Capo options. I’d heard of Fritz but never seen or heard a pair and didn’t know anything about the Ref 3A’s. Good to hear from a couple of you that the DeVore 3XLs and Dynaudio Heritage Special would both work well too and I’m not totally crazy for having them on my short list. Having never owned a tube amp before, I’m trying to separate the facts from the false rumors. Obviously it would be different with a flea watt amp than with the ZMA, but it seems like tube watts might go a bit farther than the same number of SS watts the way many people say the same for class AB vs class D. Thanks for all the input so far.