SET 45 Amp Driving Dynamic Speakers


I have an Antique Sound Labs Tulip SET amp running Emission Labs mesh plate 45s, driving Audio Note AN E speakers. It will play WAY louder than I want to listen, and the dynamics are amazing with all types of music.

Why do I keep reading that 45s (and other low power triodes) are only appropriate for horns, or other super efficient speakers? I think a real disservice has been done to the audiophile community by the propagation of this idea. IMO, anyone who prefers to listen to music at sane levels can enjoy the many benefits of a low power SET amp with carefully chosen dynamic speakers.

Anyone else feel this way/have similar experience?
tommylion

Showing 1 response by ami

I am using a Yamamoto A08S SET 45 with EML mesh tubes, driving a pair of Zu Audio Druids in a dedicated listening room about 15'x18' and the result is just stunning.
The transparency, detail, tempo, balance and realism is far beyond anything I've ever owned before, or even heard with other people's systems, some costing 10x and more. The cost of my amp + speakers (new) is less than $9K. I couldn't be happier with this setup.
True, it doesn't play nearly as loud as my living room 60lbs, 700 Watt Classe SS amplifier, and I don't expect it to.
When I want to turn the volume up and listen to hard rock, metal or electronic music at live concert levels, I do it in my living room with a system that excels at that :-)
Maybe one can have both worlds. I haven't found that setup yet, but I can only guess is that if it does exist, it will probably cost 20x more than both my systems together.