It won’t satisfy you for long. Not only will a 2w amp not have enough power for loud levels with a 90db speaker, it also won’t have enough control at low volumes.
Will 2 watts monoblock 45 tube amp work for 90db speakers ?
Hi my fellow audio friends ! I got a question about low power tube amp , I recently interested in a pairs of 45 tubes low power amp , they are around 2 watts and I know they work best on higher efficiency speakers like horn , I currently have a primaluna preamp feed s ss amp to my Nola boxer s2 90 dB at 8 ohm and a pairs of sub , I wonder at normal listening level will a pairs of 45 tube amp will have enough juices to drives them ? My listening room is around 15 x 17 , any input ?
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Here's another option you might consider that should have no problem driving your speakers. Not tubes, but SS Class A that does a nice job blending virtues of both tubes and SS. Read the reviews. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649533832-valvet-e2-amplifier/ I've heard Ralph from Atmasphere say that you don't want to push tube amps to the higher end of their output range as their sound quality begins to suffer, so you may want to consider that as you search for an appropriate tube amp. Best of luck in your search. |
I've heard Ralph from Atmasphere say that you don't want to push tube amps to the higher end of their output range as their sound quality begins to suffer, so you may want to consider that as you search for an appropriate tube amp.To clarify this- the statement above is true of all amps, but in the case of SETs the higher ordered harmonic distortions start to show up at about 20% of full power, so if you really want to hear what the amp does you need a speaker that allows you to run the SET with all forms of music at power levels less than 20%... in the case of a type 45 based SET, that means a speaker that is about 105dB or so at a minimum in most rooms. |
@soix thank for your suggestions but I think I have a wonderful combo tube preamp plus tube dac feed to my lovely Yamaha mx1 with dual transformer , the mx1 I purchased was 600 bucks compare to 2500 as new and I think I got a very nice combo already , for now I just want to try low power tube amp with high efficiency speaker for low volume listening |
If you have a multi meter, you can use the test tone & technique provided here to calculate how many watts your speakers actually use: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/204857-test-voltage-power-speakers.html It’s super informative & useful: all you do is set your volume at the max listening level you use, then play the -12db 120hz test tone while measuring voltage at the speaker terminals. Square that value and you’ve got the maximum watts needed. Plenty to read at the link... |
And if you don't have a DMM, they're worth having around... I bought this one for $25 and it does just fine. https://www.amazon.com/Alloet-True-RMS-Digital-Multimeter-Voltage/dp/B072JMBLJS/ref=asc_df_B072JMBLJ... |
think I would be looking for speakers in the 94-98 db eff range for use with a 45 SET amp....they are really about 1.5 watts, 2 watts is pushing them pretty hard.Actually 1.5 watts is about double what you traditionally get out of a 45. You really do need speakers that are more efficient. I ran some old full range speakers that were rated 99dB with my 45 SETs in my bedroom- and that was volume challenged- they sounded loud not because they were but simply due to those higher ordered harmonics I mentioned earlier. The ear uses those to sense sound pressure, so when the amp makes them it sounds louder than it really is. The problem is, it doesn't sound as nice when it does that. |