Speakers for low power tube amplifier


Hi,
I´m loocking for speakers for my Silvaweld tube monoblocks (22W with 300B in push pull configuration).
Up to the moment I used two bookshelf monitors with great results (Reference 3a De Capo i and Merlin TSM-MXr) but I want to move to floorstanding speakers. They must be easy (8 ohms) to drive with more than 90db sens.
Some contenders are:
Verity Audio Finn
Reference 3a Episode or the discontinued L´Integrale Noveau
Living Voice IBX-R2
Lawrence Violin (they are not floorstand but has excellent bass response)
I will apreciate your opinion and recomendations.
Thanks
elduende14
Hi,
Coincident,Rethm,Ocellia,Tonian Labs, Tannoy,Vaughn,Sonist,Zu etc. You have many good choices available.Low power tubes with high efficiency speakers is a good pathway to natural and realistic sound.You`re starting with a very good amplifier to build a system around..
Regards,
Up to the moment I used two bookshelf monitors with great results (Reference 3a De Capo i and Merlin TSM-MXr)

I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on these two speakers in your set-up.

Don't know your budget, but Daedalus Audio speakers are incredible with small power tube amps.
Yes, both, the Merlins and the Reference 3As represent good option for bookshelf speakers and excellent value for the money.
The De Capo i have more deep bass and very extended highs.
The Merlins dessapear and you only hear the music with incredible soundstage. They have 87db sens. but they are easy to drive and for my small listening room 22W is enough.
Now I´m moving to a bigger listening room and I´m loocking for floorstanding speakers.
Friends, remember that my Silvaweld are push pull with 300B not SE. I also tried Silvaweld 300B SE (7W) and they are very different from my PP amplifiers.
Thanks
Some good recomendations already. I have used Living Voice, they are quite nice. I might add Silverline and Devore Fidelity, Tannoy.
I use Daedalus now the DA-RMas, with a hybrid and also a 20 watt SET integrated, the Ayon Spark. They sound wonderful and are a long term keeper. They are also good value for money, though not cheap, because of direct sale. No retailer distributor to add 50% + to the cost
You might consider the Merlin VSM. You seem to like the TSMs a lot and the VSM offers an extended bandwidth variation on that theme. I got good performance at adequate (for my listening habit) spl from my VSM in a moderate sized room drive by 15 wpc Cary 300b amps.

Marty

PS - The I also own the Verity P/E (unfamiliar with the Finn) and have owned deCapos in the past. I concur with your description of the Merlin and Ref 3a, so I suspect that you're hearing a lot of the same things that I do, so...

The Verity P/E barks up a 180 degree different tree than the Merlin and/or the Ref 3a. Both the Ref 3a and the Merlin have tight, well damped bass response that IMHO gives both speakers some commonality to their voice. My take is that he Merlin has significantly more energy as frequencies climb, which really distinguishes their respective voices.

OTOH, my P/E has a gently rising but pronounced elevation thru the mid bass region. This makes it a much more forgiving speaker than either the Merlin or (to a lesser extent) the deCapo, but one that sounds quite different overall. It's a very, very good speaker, just one that approaches the task from the opposite side than Merlin or Ref 3a, so to speak. I don't know whether the Finn shares this quality, but - if you're coming from Merlin/Ref 3a - I'd say that an audition is 100% required before you switch to Verity.