Speaker and Cable Suggestions Please


Greetings, some time ago (maybe over a year ago) I asked for some advice as to what tube integrated amp to buy. It was to be my first tube amp and I needed a lot of help. After a long search and much study, I decided on an ARC VSi75. Now I need your help again. I currently have a pair of Focal Aria 926. My listening room is small, 15'7" x 11'7" (4.75m x 3.5m).

I'm looking for a speaker for a near-field situation that extends into the upper mids and high frequencies. Since my amp puts out 75 watts of output, I need something with decent sensitivity, say at least 91db. I also need new speaker cables. I'm using circa 1980s Monster Cable now.

One more consideration, I have lost some hearing due to a neurological autoimmune condition. Yet, when I auditioned Paradigm Persona Bs recently through an ARC, I could here all the sound that I remember hearing when I was a teenager. The point being, I know that upper range I'm chasing is possible I just don't know if it's achievable on my budget. I have about $4,000 to spend on speakers and cables. I was thinking about DH Lab Q-10 for cables and the rest for speakers. What do you guys think? I don't mind buying used. Thank you.

diminishedchord

+1 for calling Fritz.  I have the Rev7 SE and I can’t say enough good things about them.  My room is a bit smaller than yours and the Fritzs sound amazing to my ears.  All his speakers have a smooth impedance curve, no wild swings or deep dips. Mine don’t go below 6 ohms so even though they are 87db sensitive they are easy to drive.  I have a 200wpc MA8900 that rarely gets anywhere near the 1 watt to drive them to 80db+ which is plenty loud for me (and my neighbors too I’m sure 😁).  Having done a decent amount of listening at local audio retailers, imho, it would take spending at least 2-3x to better what these speakers offer.  That will probably happen some day but today I’m very happy with the Fritzs.

I forgot to mention I realize you are using a tube amp but your 75w is plenty of juice.

@ghdprentice 

Like most everyone, I started out by cutting the ends off of extension cords.  When I bought better equipment, I bought some 12 gauge, stranded wire that each strand was silver coated.  Then I bought better equipment, I bought some AudioQuest cables.  Don’t tell my wife, but I’m getting the itch to get better amplification and probably better speaker cables. 😁

George,  If I go back to tubes, how many tube watts would you suggest I need for 90dbs speakers?  

@curiousjim

😊👍

 

My speakers are 90db efficient. I am running my ARC 160 in triode mode… so 70wpc. I could blow my ears out ( I had some youngsters over here that wanted to see if they could damage their ears).

 

I would think 60wpc would be plenty. Your room is not huge so maybe less. Tubes do not suffer / benefit with too little / much power like solid state.

A solid state amp delivers the power equally across impedance variations.  A tube amp will put out more power at varying higher impedances resulting in a uneven frequency response similar to if you used an equalizer to boost the mids and highs up or down.
 
With a tube amp, sensitivity or efficiency of the speakers isn't the only thing to consider.  BTW- your ARC amp is very powerful!
 
I have 11 different tube amps ranging in power up to 80 watts with KT 88, 6L6, 6550, EL 34, 300B and EL 84 tubes.  Even the 2.3 watt per channel EL 84 Decware amp drives all of my 87-88 dB speakers in my 14 x 22 ft room well.
 
Loudspeakers which have series crossovers typically have a gradually rising impedance curve and a straight phase curve. unlike most loudspeakers with conventional parallel crossovers.  Series crossovers use far fewer and much small components that don't suck up a lot of power and good sound.
 
Google any loudspeaker and see if they have a Stereophile review. Go to the measurement page & check out the impedance & phase curves. They will look like mountain ranges with peaks & dips. No other speakers will have smooth curves unless they use series crossovers.
 
Attached below is a graph of one of my loudspeakers with series crossovers.  Thanks, Fritz