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Admittedly a bit lost

Folks

I am a long time music lover who is dipping his toes into high end audio for the first time. I have long enjoyed high quality headphones (Sennheiser HD650) and earphones (Etymotics all the time) but have not spent the big bucks (that I don't have) for high-end equipment. :)

However, I have recently acquired a Jolida tube amp (40W output) and am looking for good speakers to pair with them. I intend to go around listening to a bunch of speakers but I need to at least narrow down what sort I should ask my local dealers to have available for me to try. That is what this thread is about.

My constraints are thus:
- My musical tastes run the gamut from classical choral pieces (Bach's cantatas and mass, Arvo Part, Hilliard Ensemble's works etc - i.e. all mid-range frequencies) to experimental electronic music (Autechre, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus etc - i.e. deep sub-bass and full-frequency spread music with absolutely zero traditional instruments and every sound is synthesized).
- My amp is a 40W tube amp
- I live in an apartment and so listen at volumes ranging from low to moderate.
- My budget for speakers is about $3K (slightly flexible).

With those constraints, my dilemma is that I don't know if I should be trying out high-efficiency speakers or low-efficiency ones? Should I look for 8ohm speakers or 4ohm ones? Something tells me that with low power tube amps, I should be looking at a high efficiency low impedence speaker. However, will that sort of speaker be able to navigate the high speed bass attack of electronic music when driven by an amplifier such as mine?

I am not sure where to begin, so I would really like some advise from folks here. Thank you so much!
badri
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"That said - that was before I realized that what I wanted most from my speakers was speed and transparency in addition to just plain old bass extension. So I was wondering if you were pointing me towards any specific bookshelf speakers with that in mind."

All of the components in the system need work together if you want to achieve your goal. So, if you want speed and transparency, the Jolida is probably not a good choice.
badri OP
69 posts
 
@Audiokinesis Those pads do sound perfect. In my case, I am lucky in that there are just two residences in my building and the lower level is a cafe which plays music all day long and I don't need to worry too much about them. :) Also my music listening levels tend to be bwteeen low/moderate - with only rare bouts of extreme exuberance :) But if I end up hearing any complaints, I will know exactly what to do about it - after I first turn down the volume of course - hahahahahaha :D

It is really cool that your son makes music. What kind of setup do you have, if you don't mind my asking?
badri OP
69 posts
 
@Zd542 Ah - I suspected that might be the case and was surprised that no one mentioned it. While I am not looking to replace my amp right now, when I get around to it, should I even look at tubes or should I switch to solid-state?
badri OP
69 posts
 
@Jazzman463 Thank you for that. I think the limited power I have from my amp might not be enough for electrostatic speakers - which I have heard are power hungry beasts. So I kind of eliminated the Maggies from my consideration.

At this point, I am thinking of the Focal Aria, Triangle Antal EZ, PSB T2, Totem Arro, Sonus Faber Venere, KEF R700, Golden Ear Triton & Revel Performa F30.

I would like to try the Proac recommended on this thread, but the price of new ones is out of my budget.

In addition, I would like to try out some Dynaudio & Dali speakers, but I have no idea which ones I should even try out. Yet. Fun times :)
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"11-13-15: Badri
@Zd542 Ah - I suspected that might be the case and was surprised that no one mentioned it. While I am not looking to replace my amp right now, when I get around to it, should I even look at tubes or should I switch to solid-state?"

There's no way that I, or anyone else, can tell you what to do. And its not because we don't want to, we just can't. The best I can tell you for sure, is that audio is a very hands on hobby. Most people don't realize this when they first get involved. Its not about reading reviews and ordering equipment. If you want good sound, you have to go after it. Demo as much gear as you can, even if you think you won't like it. The more listening you do, the better you get. You'll end up making your fair share of mistakes, but we all do, and that's just the way it goes. If you want to succeed, active participation is a must.
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