Can my MC275 power speakers with 91db sensitivity

I should add, I realize that the OP has the latest model of the MC275. In which case I second what I said above - "tube amps sound like SS." Then why buy tubes when you can buy SS. By the way, I'm running a 'vintage' MC240 right now, and have had side by side an ARC SS amp, and have trouble telling the difference between the two amps. Perhaps a well engineered amplifier sounds like another well engineered amplifier.

Jimmy, are you saying that there is a noticeable difference between tube and SS, or are you saying that there is not per se a difference, because a good amp sounds like a good amp. I ask, primarily because if there is no longer an inherent difference in the sound, I will save myself a lot of trouble and go with SS (or maybe not, I love the look of my MC275).

I have no experience with the MC275, but from a technical standpoint I suspect that there is some validity to Polk432's point. The current (Mark VI) version of that amp has a specified damping factor of 22, which is unusually high for a tube amp. Correspondingly, its output impedance is unusually low for a tube amp. That suggests that its design utilizes a greater than average amount of feedback for a tube amp.

Everything else being equal, all of that will shift its sonic character in the direction of being more akin to typical solid state sonics than would otherwise be the case. In numerous ways: A reduction in effects on frequency response flatness resulting from interaction between amplifier output impedance and variation of speaker impedance as a function of frequency; reduced Total Harmonic Distortion (THD); better bass damping than would otherwise be the case; increased Transient Intermodulation Distortion (TIM); a reduction in some lower order harmonic distortion components that tend to be numerically greatest but are relatively inoffensive; and an increase in some higher order harmonic distortion components that tend to be numerically smaller but are more offensive.

Elegal, re your last question, if you want to consider going to a different amplifier you should settle on a choice of speakers first, and then choose an amplifier that will be synergistic with it. Some speakers are designed to sound best with solid state amps, some are designed to sound best with tube amps, and some will do fine either way. The Daedalus speakers I use are an example of a design that will do fine either way. Their output will reflect the intrinsic sonic character of the amplifier that is driving them, but there will be no issues relating to amplifier-speaker interactions with either type of amplifier.

Regards,
-- Al

I believe the original Cremona were rated at 90dB and the Cremona M at 91dB. The article that Al linked to was for the original Cremona. I believe the M are in fact easier to drive than the original Cremona. I have the original Cremona and concur that they are picky about amplifiers. I tried many amps and ended up with a Levinson 432, which does 400 watts are 8 ohm and 800 watts at 4 ohmns.

I would be cautious of your amp with the original Cremona, but it might be OK for the Cremona M. Unfortunately, I do not believe that Atkinson ever measured the M.

Jimmy, I have owned the Mac275 and the MC7270 SS amp. Both were good amps, but the Mac sounds more SS than tube especially when compared to my Cary V12R and CAD120's amps. One thing I really liked about the 275 is that it ran so much cooler than the Carys, just didn't have the warmth.