Speakers that are good with tubes


I have see several recommendations against tube amps powering certain speakers. But which speakers are known to really like time amps, especially high powered tube amps?

lewl28

@tubeguy76  I am still trying to figure out Ralph's paper on the issue, and other sources - I am happy to stand corrected.

When I bought my EL34 push-pull Class A tube amp from the bloke who made it he specifically asked what ohms my speakers were.  I said rated at 8, with a brief dip to 6 somewhere.

That's fine, it won't stress anything.

Because he also included a 4 ohm tap in tediously hand-winding the transformers.

In the foreseeable future I may consult with him about making a tube pre-amp, and I'll be much more prepared to ask him difficult questions and actually discuss issues.

 

I bought a tube amp that had 4 ohm taps and speakers that were 6 ohm nom. Speakers had an impedance dip into the 3 ohm range. Ran them for the first year on the 4 ohm taps and they sounded fine. Then for kicks, tried the 8 ohm taps and never went back.T

...Until I bought Tannoys. Much better match for my amp.

Consider a high quality single driver speaker like Voxativ, if you’re searching for musical speed and detail — especially with 300B driven SET. Zu audio can be driven nicely with a low power amplifier but offers more bass with its powered woofer.

It depends on the tube amp and room size as to which speakers sound good with tube amps. 

I had a 20 watt Raven Audio tube integrated driving the supposedly tube non-friendly KEF LS50s in a medium large room and the sound was glorious. 

Also a 100 WPC rogue audio amp with great success driving 86db Harbeths.  

Flip side a 3 WPC SET tube amp likes much more sensitive speakers- e.g. 93db Audio Note AN-J or E.  

I love these threads and how they twist and turn, altering the "purity" of the OP questions.

It's like asking two different people how a piece of electronic gear works:

A typical guy off the street would reply "Push this on-off button".

An electrical engineer would be frozen in place by the complexity of the question.

My Klipschorns have sounded great with a CJ tube amp & preamp, CJ preamp and modified Hafer SS amp, and now wirh a PL integrated tube amp.

( my only concern with the PL integrated is how at listening levels the volume knob is barely cracked open.)