Speakers for triode tube amps
+1 On the DeVore O/’s Take a look at Art Dudley’s review. And yes, you totally want an 8 ohm or higher speaker to pair magically with an amp with this topology. Your instincts are dead on. https://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-189-luxman-mq-88use |
OP What some self-proclaimed "experts" obviously don’t understand is that when an amplifier starts asking for double the power by dropping from 8 to 4 ohms, it will start to distort if not designed for that level of output. There is no magical speaker, Tekton or otherwise, that can avoid this simple math if it’s a 4 ohm speaker by design...period. So a speaker that is playing a 1000hz note at 8ohms and using 15watts of power (say from a 25 watt MQ-88uSE amp) - suddenly hits a bass passage at 50hz and is 4ohms at that frequency now asks for 30 watts (double the 15), it will start to distort because it is operating beyond its design. Don’t let anyone lead you astray....amp/speaker pairing is crucial. A high and flat impedance speaker is what you’re generally looking for with this Luxman amp. btw - the Luxman MQ-88 u (SE or C) is the best executed KT-88 triode design I've ever heard. It pairs wonderfully with DeVore and it really challenges what many of us tube snobs (myself included ;-)) think a KT-88 can sound like. Many of the best attributes of push-pull and SET combined. |
@corelli There's been plenty of constructive suggestions for the OP. Many have suggested several high sensitivity speakers possessing a high and flat impedance. These are excellent choices for a MQ-88 triode amp...and I speak from experience, I own one (unlike others). However the very first response was from a "hater" (your word not mine) who ostracized the OP for even inquiring into a "high quality 8 ohm speaker that is easy to drive". Please in all honesty tell me how constructive it is to the OP to dress him down and shove Tekton down his throat? Seriously...????? Perhaps we need to redefine "hater". |
@tomic601 as for constructive input, I love what Devore does in this space As do I! I pair my Luxman MQ-88uC with O/96’s and the sound is ridiculously good and it handles a wider range of music more deftly than my other amps. While my LM805ia provides a massive 3D soundstage with incredible weight and texture, the MQ-88uC delivers transients that are reproduced with a sense of speed, finesse, and plenty of detail - all while sacrificing very little in the dynamic range and SET magic of the LM. At the end of the day it’s great having both amp choices, but if forced to choose just one I suspect it may be the Luxman with this pairing. |
Tekton are extremely easy to drive and easily outperform speakers costing multiples more. The market apparently disagrees on the price element. Tektons are certainly no best kept secret and have been very actively discussed, advertised and reviewed over the years. If the speakers were valued by the market at "multiples more" then that's where Eric would price them. The market is the final arbiter in terms of setting price. It's quite obvious they are fairly priced where they are and probably do punch a bit above their weight...but this talk of "multiples" is obviously nonsense that the entire market and even the owner of Tekton doesn't believe or they would be priced as such. Eric knows full well the answer to the question of how many Moabs he would sell if he changed the price to $30K tomorrow. |
