Thanks to all, decided to buy my buddies Martin Logan 13A's. Running from the 4 ohm tap to minimize the impedance issues in the higher frequencies.
If you wind up with the highs sounding rolled off, you can correct that using a set of ZEROs.
Dynaudio Evidence Temptation and tube amps?
Have begun the process of considering different speakers to replace the Dali Euphonia MS 4's in my somewhat small and cluttered dedicated listening room(15 by 18 and probably a bit more damped than most). Currently have a listening triangle of about 8 feet and am not to concerned with high volume levels. The only thing I want to change is the speakers so the question is what problems will I run into should I be lucky enough to find a local pair for purchase when I try to run them with the 200 watt Allnic monoblocks. I ask due to the near concensus that they seem to shine with lots of current and power. Is my small distance from the speakers and the rare desire to play at extreme volumes the classical and jazz I prefer a possible exception to the need for megawatts? Current front of speakers about 6 feet from back wall and 4 feet from side walls. Obviously would hope to hear from anyone that has tried or is using tubes in a similar situation. Best wishes and thanks in advance. LS
7 responses Add your response
My experience with Dynaudios is that they are very hard to drive, they like to be driven loud, that's when they open up and sound their best. I would suggest a pair of Legacy Audios or Focals, these brands typically make efficient speakers that sound great at low volumes, the point being they will be easier to drive with tube amps. I drove my Signatures with the Coincident 34se which is only an 8 wpc amp. And they sounded great with acoustic music. |
If you look at the specs on this speaker you see its rated 90dB sensitivity with a 4 ohm impedance. Tubes do not double power as impedance is halved (if acting as a voltage source they will cut power in half as impedance is doubled). So efficiency is a more useful spec. In this case when you do the math that speaker is 87dB which in a nutshell means it needs power. BTW, current cannot be had without voltage; the two together create power; I mention this because the term 'high current amp' is a bit of a misnomer). Your amp employs feedback and will act as a voltage source. But you will be pushing the amp pretty hard if you ever try to play things at a higher level. 4 ohms will also cause the amp to make more distortion- this is true of all amplifiers tube or solid state. IMO/IME if you really want to get the best out of your amplifier I would look for something that is higher impedance, higher efficiency or both. Amps that work hard for a living always make more distortion, and distortion will obscure detail. |
Dear @trytone : Those Dyna’s are great quality performers and the best you can do on amps is to go with SS not tubes. I listened with tubes and SS electronics around 5-6 times and the best one performance was when the speakers were coupled with a pair of two JC1 monobloks from Parasound. These amps are way competitive with any other amp design and better performers of what people could think. With those speakers and seated position at near field is an extraordinary experience. You will be satisfied with. https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/501/index.html Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
A tube amp typically delivers approximately the same power (wattage) into the speaker across the spectrum despite the impedance curve’s ups and downs, while a solid state amp typically delivers more power (more wattage) into impedance dips, and less power into impedance peaks. To put this another way, a tube amp typically approximates a "constant power source", while a solid state amp typically approximates a "constant voltage source". Here is a user-friendly paper on the subject written by a very experienced amplifier designer, best known for his tube amps but his expertise includes solid state amps: http://www.atma-sphere.com/en/resources-paradigms-in-amplifier-design.html Unfortunately relatively few audiophiles are aware of the difference between how a solid state amp and a tube amp behave into a typical roller-coaster impedance curve, so tube amps (being in the minority) often take the blame for what is really just a poor loudspeaker pairing. Relative to how a speaker sounds with a solid state amp, with a tube amp it will be louder where the impedance peaks, and softer where the impedance dips. Eyeballing Stereophile’s measurements, I’d expect the Temptations to have a narrow peak at 60 Hz, and to be weak in the 80-250 Hz region, relative to how they sound with a solid state amp. I would not expect the Dynaudio Temptations to be a good match for a tube amp because imo weak response in the 80-250 Hz region is undesirable. Duke dealer/manufacturer |
