Cube Audio Nenuphar Single Driver Speaker (10 inch) TQWT Enclosure

I am not surprised that people report good results with SET 2a3 and 300b amps.  I generally do find that most people overestimate the amount of power they really need.  For the vast majority of time, one listens at levels where a watt or two is enough.

But, there will be some limitations with these types of amps and speakers in this efficiency range.   With really demanding music, such as large-scale choral music, at crescendi, one will hear the effects of compression--the music stops getting louder and it becomes more muddled sounding.  I hear this to some extent when using my 5.5 watt amps on 99 db/w efficient speakers.  It is not a big deal to me; I don't attempt to listen to Mahler's 8th at "realistic" volume, but it may be a bigger deal to someone else.  This is something everyone has to judge for themselves.

Hard to imagine there is more to come from these wonderful speakers as I  reach the 100 hour mark.

Stephen, I found there was "more to come..."   :  )

Let us know what you find.

I liked the Nenuphar playing at low volume. I liked it less when the volume was cranked up.

The Nenuphar speakers, in my system and room, sound wonderful when played loud.

I attribute the ability to play them even louder than in the past to improvements I made on the power and power cable side of my system. Treating my room will push these already high volume levels, higher. My reference being: long listening sessions, at higher volumes than normal for me, without the problems that cut a session short.

I fully realize the 2A3 amps I'm using have limits in this respect. Having said that, those limits now are far higher (e.g. in volume without distortion / fatigue) than I expected and understand (technically).

I've come to learn that the types of music and how I go about listening to that music are 'tells' about my system and it's performance and parameters. One I've noticed recently is that I'm listening to large scale classical music with much greater frequency than I have in the past. This clearly communicates something (important) to me.

We all have different references and requirements. It's what makes this hobby so very interesting to me. What follows isn't dictate...it's merely an illustration of my comfort level in what my needs are:

Based my experience with Scott Sheaffer's Found-Music 2A3 amps, I (personally, for myself) do not see a need for more power than what a quality 300B SET amp offers to drive the Nenuphars.