I’m new to tube amps having used only SS in a vintage 70s Pioneer spec system I’ve been ruining for a long time. I held out upgrading to anything new or better telling myself at this point in the game my ears are too shot to benefit upgrading to new and better but, finally caved and purchased a pair of Klipsch CW IVs and a cheap low power Chinese tube amp to use as a placeholder while I learned more about tube amps.
I understand lots of people pair the CWs with 2-3 watt amps with what they consider stellar results. In the guitar amp world there is usually a sweet spot you need to be running the tubes at even if running a clean sound (no desired distortion) so often times even for live performance players will use attenuators between the amp and speaker to drive the tubes but keep the volume down.
Does this analogy hold with stereo amps so there is an optimum volume setting that is needed to drive the speakers for a better sound so a higher powered tube amp becomes detrimental to sound because the volume needs to be incrementally higher to achieve the sweet spot? Or, is it the opposite with stereo amps which by design, more watts just equals more volume and too much power is like using a Ferrari as a commuter car that you can never get above 35mph.
Any links to articles or other would be greatly appreciated but I’m in a bit of information overload having been reading and watching YouTube videos on low watt tube amps so anyone with CWs and their experience would help. As an FYI, I’m primarily a vinyl classic rock loud volume listener. Thanks
I understand lots of people pair the CWs with 2-3 watt amps with what they consider stellar results. In the guitar amp world there is usually a sweet spot you need to be running the tubes at even if running a clean sound (no desired distortion) so often times even for live performance players will use attenuators between the amp and speaker to drive the tubes but keep the volume down.
Does this analogy hold with stereo amps so there is an optimum volume setting that is needed to drive the speakers for a better sound so a higher powered tube amp becomes detrimental to sound because the volume needs to be incrementally higher to achieve the sweet spot? Or, is it the opposite with stereo amps which by design, more watts just equals more volume and too much power is like using a Ferrari as a commuter car that you can never get above 35mph.
Any links to articles or other would be greatly appreciated but I’m in a bit of information overload having been reading and watching YouTube videos on low watt tube amps so anyone with CWs and their experience would help. As an FYI, I’m primarily a vinyl classic rock loud volume listener. Thanks