paradigm studio 100V2 with Mcintosh tubes

I initially heard the Studio 100s with a Mac amp (sorry, don't know the model, but it was SS) and it just didn't have enough juice to run them. I thought they sounded horrible. Not to say Mac and Paradigm won't work well together, but the 100s need some juice. If your amp doesn't have 100+ watts I'd find a more efficient speaker.

From my experiences with the Studio 100's, they sound great with 200-300 watt amps. They just need lots of power to come alive.

I currently power mine with a McCormack DNA-225 amplifier, rated at 225watts @8ohms and 400 watts @4ohms.

Please keep in mind that these speakers dip down around 3 ohms at around 80-100hz.

biamp is the best treatmemt for all complicated and tough loads. you might end-up with much less but clip-free power.

you can use

NAD C370 integrated used($400) as woofer amp(upto 600Hz) and preamp --> marchand crossover(tube or ss whichever you can afford certainly with removed speaker crossover) --> your mckintosh amp at upper and midrange.

Many manufacturers would not recommend to go active since it will loose its values but many would state otherwise recommending an optimal crossover point(s) beneficial for amplifiers and speakers together with removed internal speaker crossover.

I think the McIntosh pre and 2102 would sound great
with the Paradigm 100's. Or, with just about any speakers. If you find that the 2102 isn't driving the Paradigms hard enough, buy another 2102 and run them as monoblocks. The 2102 is a powerful amp -- don't let the 100 watt per channel rating fool you. All watts ain't created equal.