Can the Manley Neoclassic 300B handle a 2 ohm load


Hi all,

l am very interested in this amp, however my speakers have a load dip down to 2 ohms, although nominally they are 3 ohms plus. Rated at 96db efficency however.

Would the Manley be OK with this type of load, or will the bottom end be MIA?

Cheers Simon
mondie
Not a suitable combination.

Efficiency match is ok, but the impedance match is poor. Look for an 8 ohm speaker for this amp.

If you want to keep the speakers, then you need an amp capable of low impedance loads, which is not any SET amp, nor most tube amps in general.

There are some tube amps that can do it, like a Wolcott, but under 2 ohms is generally SS territory.
The Decware Zen/Select amps love a 2 ohm load. I have a friend that purposely builds a series of speakers with 2 ohm impedance specifically to be used with the Decware amps.

If you can live with about 1.5-2 watts/channel, it might be a good choice. Of course, you could buy/try/resale a used one and lose nearly nothing since they are inexpensive to start with and hold their value pretty well.

BTW, I don't own a Decware amp, but I have a few friends that do. They love them and I've heard their systems. They can be very good in an appropriate system.

Enjoy,

TIC