Proac D38R with SET amp

min power requirements 10 watts 4 ohms a SET will not be a good match at all.

A 8-10w SET will work gloriously in most circumstance, but in the long run, it will leave you wanting for more power. Don't forget that the D38 is a nominal 4ohm load and some 300B valve amps do not like 4ohms.

hi
thank you for all your responses. yes, i am aware that it may not be the combo which one would choose if building a system from scratch....just that the opportunity to purchase a pair of D38R came about... and I intend to keep my existing amp.

Seems like no one here has direct experience with a SET in that power output range ... anyone tried a 300B amp (8W) on the D38 or D38R? Many thanks.

Why not use loudspeakers designed for SET use? Only 10 watts? most loudspeakers wouldn't run so well of this but some exist that are designed for such use. Many people expect SET to run most everything and there just asking for system mismatches and grief.

I used to own a pair of D38's ... and I ran them with (wait for it) ... Cary CAD-805AE monoblocks. These have 50W of power. So is 50W enough? If most of your listening is simple stuff (like female vocals or violin solos) at low volume, 50W is ample. However, if your taste wanders towards large scale music (like Wagner) you will find that the bottom end is a bit lacking and the amplifier regularly runs out of oomph.

I thought the combination was absolutely magical for some types of music, but my dissatisfaction with the inability to project size and scale led me down another path.

I would have my doubts about any an amplifier employing a single 2a3 triode/channel. May work if configured in parallel/channel however I still don't believe that it would be a synergistic match.
As mentioned above, the Cary 805's are a fabulous paring with the larger proacs.

Best of luck with your journey.

I have heard the D38r driven with a 2a3 amp (3w) or so.
Very small room, 3m x 4m. It sounded pretty ok tonally but i felt the amp was not making the most of what those speakers are capable of doing.
I would opt more power if I had the choice.

I've heard the Proac D38 mated with 845/211 based SET and they sounded awesome.

I should clarify that the 10W SET amp is part of my existing set up and the Proac is something that I am considering as I was offered this opportunity to acquire...
thanks.

we have set up the Proac D 38s with the Cary 805 Mono Blocks with wonderful results.

Hi Fudgeo. While I haven't heard the later D38 mated to a set amp, I have direct experience with the both the response 3.5 and the 3.8 paired with an 18watt/ch KR 18bsi.

Both were outstanding in a medium sized room [18ft x 14ft]
Due to the rather begnign load of the proac,they should mate well with most set amplification providing the amplifier is designed with a quality power supply.