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Recommended Speaker for Triode Amp

I've been living with inefficient Thiel 3.6 speakers for many years now, but now I'm getting a new integrated Triode amplifier rated at 20 watts per channel. I'm not familiar with horn and open baffle speakers, or other inefficient designs and could use some help.

I listen mostly to jazz, female voice, acoustical types, and rock, as opposed to Big Band and orchestral music. I have a fairly small listening room. I do like my bass, so if it's there I want to produce it well.

I've seen some speaker kits and I am handy but don't have a lot of woodworking tools. For example, I would not want to cut those large round speaker holes.

I also don't understand how to match a speakers efficiency to the power output of an amp, or maybe that doesn't matter as long as you can drive the speakers to loud levels.

I do have two goals. The first is to spend between $3K to $6K tops, and the second is to smoke my Theil 3.6 speakers.

Help and recommendations are appreciated.
kennythekey
br3098
971 posts
 
There are lots of good choices, and even more opinions. I would suggest either the Audio Note K or the Zu Tone. The Ks are going to be light in the bass region, but Js or Es would almost certainly bee to much speaker for your room size. The Zu Tone is a little punchier.

Just curious, what type of rock music do you listen to? Have you heard some of your favorite music on a 20W SET amp and small speakers? I listened to Stairway to Heaven on a 300B amp and single driver speakers the other night - it was... let's call it an interesting experience.
jburidan
803 posts
 
Infinity Prelude MTS with RABOS will knock your socks off. Recommend you avoid single driver speakers.
metralla
945 posts
 
Something from Coincident would work with your amps. The Partial Eclipse are $5000.

http://www.coincidentspeaker.com/partial.htm

Regards,
unsound
7,315 posts
 
Good luck with that.
kennythekey OP
580 posts
 
I'm finally back (from NYC), and thanks for the additional information.

I checked out the Zu line and they look like a good match for my room's setup. Perhaps the Essence would be a winner, so does anyone have experience with that speaker?

The Partial Eclipse also looks like a compatible design for my room. Good stuff. I will do some research on these designs.

Br3098 - I listen to classic rock but I have mellowed a bit with age. For example, lately I've been playing David Crosby's, If I Could Only Remember My Name and some Dire Straits, the Dead's Reckoning, and The Pentangle's first. These are all vinyl. I really don't need to shake the earth and my Thiels won't, but they do go deep enough to keep that grin on my face. For the most part I mostly listen to jazz and world music, but when I'm feeling dark I'll put on a politically incorrect and twisted Velvet Underground album and then I'm back in The City again.

BTW - The Thiels throw a wide enough soundstage but it's not very deep. This is another characteristic that I crave.
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