help with budget, low power speaker selection

Check out Omega speakers at www.omegaloudspeakers.com. I had a pair of TS1 (96dB sens.) and they really do very well for the price. Build quality is outstanding to boot. Also look at the Coincident Technology Triumphs. Very nice sounding monitors but not quite as tube friendly as the Omegas. Good luck! Arthur

A friend of mine recently bought a pair of KEF Q7 speakers (91 db sensitivity). They are $1200 list and he likes them a lot.

David

Try the new Monitor Audio Bronze B2 loudspeakers. Absolute Sound gave them a 5 star rating, and at $399.00 a pair MSRP they were a speaker that should be in the $1000.00 range. Come in beech or in black finish. Same sound as upper Silver or Gold series but not as pricey for someone on a budget. Why not save a few hundred bucks if you can and have money left over for upgrade cables and music to listen to?

You might be able to find a used pair of original Meadowlark Kestrals in really good condition at your price point.

Though I've never heard them and my opinion is therefore potentially worth exactly nothing, when I think cost-effective and tube-friendly my thoughts always seem to drift towards my recurrent fascination with Soliloquy gear. (One day I'll have to actually scratch this itch and listen to a pair). BTW, love the Kestrel but was dissapointed by the Swift. As always, listen first.

I have absolutely no experience with ASL, but have plenty of experience with tubes combined with vintage Klipsch speakers and that combination has been consistently just wonderful in my experience. You don't even have to go as far as spending the full $1K, but at that price point, if you have the room, look for a pair of vintage LaScala's that have been used for home use only (no club speakers or theatre speakers). If you don't have that much room Fortes or Forte II's at around $600, vintage Heresys at $400, or the larger Cornwalls at @$800 would all be good bets for low-powered tube amps. You can tweak any of these selections with your left over $ by adding an improved wire harness (internal) to replace the inexpensive stock wires for a significant improvement. I would ONLY reccomend the vintage models that Paul Klipsch himself designed and definitely would not purchase any of the modern Klipsch gear as it doesn't hold a candle to the vintage stuff IMO, with the exception of the models they still make which were Paul's designs (Klipschorn, LaScala, and Jubilee if they ever release a home version). Do searches here and on AudioAsylum for further input on synergy with your gear, but I'd bet they'd pair of well, save $ and give you the biggest bang for the buck. My favorites are the LaScalas if you have the room.

C Wise, take a look at Kinima G1s from Zetagcorp. I have a pair with an Audio Aero Prima amp and cdp and they sound fantastic. They have a very non-fatiging high, a smooth midrange and a bass that exceeds what you would expect from a speaker this size and price. I have mine on Osiris stands bi-wired with Cardas wires. If you have a few extra bucks, if you have not, upgrade your power cords and you will be amazed on the quality bass this speaker puts out. Kinimas have Cardas posts, wires, finish (olive) and craftmanship you would find on a lot more expensive speakers.
Any questions? Go to google, respond or email me if you want more info. Good luck

Soliloquy 5.3s. They have a reputation for being "tube-friendly." A used pair can be had for about 1k. I'm very happy with mine; they are being driven by 50 watts of ss power, and they don't miss a beat!