Does it really need to have the words to be spoken, that " a 9 wpc tube amp, should be used with high efficiency speakers " ? Maybe to the layman. You, davey, are not a layman. Anyone reading the Absolute Sound, and having 1800 posts here, should assume it. On the other hand, if volume levels are kept low, or the listening environment is not cavernous, or the music is gentle ( not cannon shots of the 1812 ), 9 wpc can work, with an 87 db speaker. I still have not read the AS review, but considering a year and a half ago, the Stereophile review I mentioned above, was released on this amp, and AD goes into what davey is asking, the question could have been answered for him. BTW, Atmasphere, might agree with you, but as far as I am concerned, Ralph is being the gentleman he is, holding your hand. Good day, be well, and stay safe, to all.
What is missing here?
In this months Absolute Sound magazine there is a nice review of an amp that many of us would probably consider based not only on the review but on the topology utilized with the amp. The amp in question is the new Air Tight ATM 300R. This amp utilizes the 300B tube and according to Dick Olsher " The Air tight ATM300-R wowed me with countless hours of listening pleasure. It consistently brought to life the full sonic promise of the 300B". Sounds amazing right??
Except, nowhere ( except in the specs section) does it mention that this amp is limited to 9Watts/Ch!! And at that it is putting out about 10% distortion! So not only is the amp severely limited to which speakers one can match it to, but those speakers had better be ULTRA high efficiency. While most experienced a’philes will expect the extremely severe limitations of this kind of max output, how many casual listeners who read this article will realize the extreme limitations that this amp comes with? Certainly none of that is mentioned in the review, which brings up the question...why not??? How many even somewhat seasoned a’philes have made the mistake of matching a flea powered amp with a less than favorable speaker load? Let’s hear about it....
Except, nowhere ( except in the specs section) does it mention that this amp is limited to 9Watts/Ch!! And at that it is putting out about 10% distortion! So not only is the amp severely limited to which speakers one can match it to, but those speakers had better be ULTRA high efficiency. While most experienced a’philes will expect the extremely severe limitations of this kind of max output, how many casual listeners who read this article will realize the extreme limitations that this amp comes with? Certainly none of that is mentioned in the review, which brings up the question...why not??? How many even somewhat seasoned a’philes have made the mistake of matching a flea powered amp with a less than favorable speaker load? Let’s hear about it....