Tube power vs Solid state power, how much is enoug

Atmasphere,

Without sliding too far off field here, I'm curious as to the point where a speaker's high rated sensitivity is undermined by other criterea.

For instance, the Athena AF-2 is rated at 93db and sells for $600 a pair. Wouldn't these speakers do well handling 40W to 50W per channel tube amps?

93 db is a medium efficiency, not high. High would be over 100db. Plus you have to factor something else when you use the word 'senstivity'. It is NOT the same as efficiency.

The Senstivity spec is 2.83 volts measured at the speaker terminal and the sound pressure measured at one meter on axis.
Efficiency is the same, but measured with 1 watt at the speaker terminals.

If the speaker is 8 ohms, the two numbers are the same. If the speaker is 4 ohms though, now the actual efficiency is 3 db less! This is because 2.83 volts driving a 4 ohm load works out to 2 watts, not 1. All of a sudden 40-50 watts may not be enough!

I don't think the cost of the speaker plays a role here, although obviously if you are investing in a tube amplifier it only seems reasonable to use a speaker that allows the amplifier to perform in its best light...

Thank you. Everybody. I'm a bit late in responding to this line of thoughts and experiences, but I do thank you all.

I've chosen what I think is best for me.... tubed preamp, and Solid state amp. Seems the logical choice with fair benefits over strickly SS all the way. Not to mention the greater assortment of loudspeakers that are made available by virtue of the SS amp. I do love the combo I have now. When with speakers not known for their "Audiofool" (and yes, I'm including myself there too)qualities, but far more than adequate, colorless and homogenously coherent speakers... the sound I have is absolutely liquid. Detail, sweet, warm, rich all of these apply.... a good source as well adds to the mix... got one of those too. Finally.

Presently, I reside in the realm of "Man, that's really good!" everytime I turn it on and play it, now. of course, I would prefer to be in the court of "Man, that's really great." each time I play it, though.... and hence the quest for a bit more something edges me onward. Upward. More to the point, to the arena of "Man You sure must have more dollars than sense." which is where I would need to be to acquire the items on my wish list. Not necessarily the item one needs to obtain great audio but close to that , "...great!" sounding ball park. As evidenced by the current state of affairs I enjoy. I am not insatiable. I do have limits. I can be happy simply with the sound that continues to present itself as fresh, involving and musical at each sitting. I am certain also, that domain is soon to be one I enjoy routinely.... a few more peripherals, wires, and an upgrade in loudspeakers will, I am sure, do the trick.

So thanks again for your experience and wisdom, and interesting insights. Perhaps one day given my taste in sound, I'll go ALL tube.... for the time being with an amp of very good quality and less than two years old, I shall remain in this not uncommon space where glass and transistors, give voice to a most wonderful song.

Can I raise another can of worms, after this excellent thread seems to have come to a natural conclusion. Most people agree there is a difference between tube and SS watts, possibly related to the tube amps prediliction for "soft clipping", but what about the difference between the watts in different tube applications? It's my impression there are clear differences, going beyond the Class A, A/B question. Am I right in saying Push/Pull has less grunt than SET for example and output tube choice is critical too, maybe EL34, less than 300B, in turn less than 845 or KT88. I may be way off track, but would appreciate any views. The proviso is of course, different speakers present different loads to the power amp and so produce different apparent volume levels.

I am sitting firmly on the fences when it comes to tube vs. transistor.

Of the many tube amps I've owned, I've yet to find one that is completely satisfying in the bass. The best ones gave me good bass without the depth, tightness, and impact of the best solid-state bass. And there is quite a bit of information missing at the top end which invariably leads to a reduced sound stage. For rock and big symphonic music, ALL my tube amps were deficient in the bass and ran out of gas, even at 120 wpc!

Of the solid-state amps I've owned, none ever gave me the midrange magic of tubes. The best ss high, while extended and detailed, never rid itself completely of that last bit of hardness. NONE of my ss amps gave me the intimate, magical sound for vocals, jazz and chamber music.

So I own both types of amp and switch from tube to transistor and back frequently. I have tried ss at the bottom and tube on top with excellent but far from perfect results. While the ss bass is outstanding and the tube midrange is magical, the highest-frequency information is still missing and the sound stage is not as large as it could be.

I found that I was happiest when I matched the amp/preamp to the music I was listening to at the time. I tend to use ss amps for rock and big symphonic music. I prefer tube amps for vocals, jazz and chamber music. (NOTE: Lately, my switching amp comes close to giving me everything I always wanted: deep bass, smooth midrange, extended highs, and huge soundstage. But I still miss that caramel-coated midrange of tube. It ain't accurate but I'm hooked on it!)

The best amp for you may depend more on your musical preference than anything else. You may have sufficient power with tube unless you love rock and large symphonic sound, then only ss will do. Bi-amping with ss and tube will solve some of your problems but not all. The perfect amp is yet to be invented.