Speakers and Tube Amps

a tube friendly speaker is one with stable impedance such as 8 ohms nominal and efficiency of 90 or greater. Tube amps do not like speaker loads that dip into the 2 and 4 ohm range since they don't have the high current output of sand amp designs...this is all general information but it's fairly easy to tell from mfg specs if tubes can power the speakers correctly but of course there are exceptions. BTW I'm a SET guy with super high efficiency speakers....and if you go tube then the tubes themselves have different sonic signatures...tubes are great if you like to tinker with your gear and appreciate tonal body and accuracy over hyper detail.

What he said...

Speakers that I've heard that sound nice with tubes include Devore, Klipsch Cornwalls (available cheap, but usually need TLC), and Coincident speakers. There are lots out there, but not many that are full-range.

Getting a great match between speakers and amp is critical to success. Many tube amps tend to be weaker as bass drivers, so it gets kinda wooly. And if the impedence really drops (such as with many electrostats), tube amps can be driven to oscillation or other bad behaviors. So if you haven't a starting point (either speakers or amps), then I'd look at experiences of synergistic matches. Buying a great amp separately from great speakers will not guarantee success. Given your software choices, you should have a lot of options.

From my own experience, here's what I've found. I'm fond of planar speakers. Some of the classic combos that have stood the test of time include original Quads with McIntosh 225 amps; Quads with Dynaco Mark III's; Sound Lab A1's with high-power Airtight amps; Magneplanar 3.6's with Wolcott Living Presence amps; Martin-Logan CLS's with VTL 750's, just to name a few.

I'm running a set of Magneplanars bi-amped with solid state on the bass & tubes on the mid/treble drivers. Tubes can often do a nice job of making the music sound "whole" which isn't to say that some solid state amps can't accomplish the same thing. But I love the sound I'm getting.

If you start with the amp, you should seek out owners to see what speakers they have successfully paired. For instance, if you love OTL amps like the Berning or Joule, you may find some of the Coincident speakers to be heavenly matches, but you may not be so happy with PSB speakers.

SET is a whole successful subculture too... You might find that it floats your boat. Read up on what Lynn Olsen says, and give a listen to his Ariels with a set of Art Audio amps.

Dunno if this helps... Good idea to visit with one of your local audio clubs and listen to member's rigs. See what you like.

Frank

Coincident... Silverline... Ref3a... to name a few. More names can be found at the wavelength web site with a better depiction of what relates to waht power range of tube amps.

The first poster here said much of what to look for though there are exceptions to manufacturers specs on paper and how some of their loudspeakers will truly react with a given power (wpc) LEVEL.

The room, the amp, and the speakers are all a mix. to wind up with a proper fit for them and yourself, do keep those things in mind.

At or around 50-60wpc and upwards, there will be many speakers which can be driven quite readily. Lots. Probably all of them in fact. to what levels, and with how much bass and so forth is the key question.

80% of the music is made in the first 20wpc.

If you plan on getting into very low powered SET amps this relationship of room, and loudspeaker becomes more important... and can become far more critical as the power diminishes.