Picking an Open Baffle speaker for 2w SET amp - plus bonus question !?!

@ricwa I will def make sure to investigate further before making any miniDSP purchase - but if correct, the DDRC-24 would be a very attractive price proposition to add room correction, cross-over and eq capabilities to my set-up. Great tip, thank you again.

@dekay  hi there, yes it does have those switches - what does this tell you (& me!)?

@atmasphere  Appreciate the concern and Noted, thank you, re: Tangbands. I do have subs, as mentioned.

Folks here seem to be understandably concerned about the meager 2 watts of my tube amp and think I need drivers with 100+ dB efficiency to be able to hear any music come out of them. I am assuming it's because Audiogoners for the most part live in real houses with normal sized rooms, aren't surrounded by neighbors on all sides and enjoy rock concert sound levels ... For what it's worth, just for fun until I have high efficiency speakers, I hooked up my Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1 to the Decware (with a Matrix Audio Mini-i Pro3 DAC/Streamer as pre-amp & with no added line-in gain btw) in my 12x12 room. The Gallos are only 88dB, and while I expected barely audible output, the reality is that at night I have to dial down one of those two watts coming from the Zen Triode, unless I want to risk pissing of my neighbors. Not suggesting by any stretch that this is a good pairing, but from everything I have read so far and what I am experiencing with the Gallo 3.1, those Betsy or Lii Audio 8" drivers with 94dB - 97dB efficiency + my REL sub(s) should be PLENTY sensitive for my NYC apartment situation, no?

The early Decware amp I tried here (maybe 20 years ago) with a few speakers did not perform well with speakers rated for 10+ ohms (Coincident stand mount speakers), but was OK @ lower volumes with my then owned Reynaud Twins MkII (think they dropped down to 3.4. or so, ohms in some areas).

Unfortunately I never tried the Decware with any of my vintage wide range single drivers (though some of them are rated as being 16 ohm).

The Decware had an interesting (memorable) sound with the Reynaud's that had a similar quality to a Roger Modjeski EL84 based amp that I later tried (lighter in weight, but similar).

Anyway, should be a non issue as you have a later model Decware.

Steve Deckert once commented on the unusual deviation from how most tube amps perform in regard to the early model, but I forget the details (this was @ Audioasylum many years ago).

Cheap and fun (for new drivers in OB) would be the high QTS Betsy drivers in a half sheet of plywood (if they are still around $100/pair) plus your subs.

The problem for me is cutting holes for the drivers as I barely trust myself with a Dremel (let alone a router), though I'm still good/confident using a drill/scroll saw and finishing up with hand tools.

DeKay

I've actually recently ordered the 2.3 watt Decware integrated amplifier with a few modifications and the waiting list is about 10 months.  I have Spatial Audio X5 open baffle speakers that are 97 db 8 ohm speakers.  The woofers are powered by internal N core amplifiers so any amp powering them only drives them from 90 hz on up which should take some pressure off the external amplifier.  I already have two integrated amplifiers which are excellent and are around 30 watts/channel so the wait for me is not relevant.  I want to hear how a very low powered integrated tube amp would sound with my speakers so next year I'll see how it mates with my speakers.  Worst case if it isn't a good match I will send the Decware back.

Not suggesting by any stretch that this is a good pairing, but from everything I have read so far and what I am experiencing with the Gallo 3.1, those Betsy or Lii Audio 8" drivers with 94dB - 97dB efficiency + my REL sub(s) should be PLENTY sensitive for my NYC apartment situation, no?

@nkphoto Hard to say! With any SET that runs zero feedback, if you want to hear what the amp is all about, you really can't run the amp past about 20-25% of full power. If you do, it will start to sound 'loud' and 'dynamic'. This is because it will generate more higher ordered harmonic distortion above that power level, and the ear uses those harmonics to sense sound pressure. IOW both the loudness and dynamics are the result of distortion.


So you might think its 'loud' but may be no-where near loud enough to bother the neighbors.


You can get sound pressure level apps for your 'phone, which can be handy for letting you know how loud the system is actually playing.  At any rate the extra 10dB of the Lii drivers or the like will certainly be helpful!

@mrotino Wow, those speakers, powered woofers. Next level (or next life) for me. Will be very interesting to hear what the little Decware will do for you. I hope you'll post your experience, would love to know how it fared compared to your 30 watts/channels.
@atmasphere this is really great info, exactly the kind of stuff I need to better understand. While I am getting more acquainted with some of the terminology, it's more in passing by while in all honesty I don't really understand the underlying fundamentals. Zero feedback? Higher ordered harmonic distortion? Anyways, I am adding your input to my ever increasing list of things I need to read up on. For now I am taking away that the more sensitive my speakers, the better for getting the most out of my amp. Thanks for your time!