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Admittedly a bit lost

Folks

I am a long time music lover who is dipping his toes into high end audio for the first time. I have long enjoyed high quality headphones (Sennheiser HD650) and earphones (Etymotics all the time) but have not spent the big bucks (that I don't have) for high-end equipment. :)

However, I have recently acquired a Jolida tube amp (40W output) and am looking for good speakers to pair with them. I intend to go around listening to a bunch of speakers but I need to at least narrow down what sort I should ask my local dealers to have available for me to try. That is what this thread is about.

My constraints are thus:
- My musical tastes run the gamut from classical choral pieces (Bach's cantatas and mass, Arvo Part, Hilliard Ensemble's works etc - i.e. all mid-range frequencies) to experimental electronic music (Autechre, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus etc - i.e. deep sub-bass and full-frequency spread music with absolutely zero traditional instruments and every sound is synthesized).
- My amp is a 40W tube amp
- I live in an apartment and so listen at volumes ranging from low to moderate.
- My budget for speakers is about $3K (slightly flexible).

With those constraints, my dilemma is that I don't know if I should be trying out high-efficiency speakers or low-efficiency ones? Should I look for 8ohm speakers or 4ohm ones? Something tells me that with low power tube amps, I should be looking at a high efficiency low impedence speaker. However, will that sort of speaker be able to navigate the high speed bass attack of electronic music when driven by an amplifier such as mine?

I am not sure where to begin, so I would really like some advise from folks here. Thank you so much!
badri
audiokinesis
2,753 posts
 
Hi Badri,

If you go for floor-standing speakers, you might consider getting Auralex isolation pads to put under them. The Auralex Gramma and ProPad and SubDude all do an excellent job of eliminating structure-borne vibrations, and will therefore increase the sound pressure level you can enjoy before the neighbors complain. They might also help with stand-mount speakers, considering that vibration can be transmitted from speaker to stand to floor.

The Auralex isolation products are widely used in recording studios, in part because sound travels faster in a solid than through the air. So the vibration that the speaker box transmits to the console shelf, which vibrates the console just a tiny bit, actually outruns the sound waves that come off the cone and travel through the air. The ear is especially sensitive to first-arrival sounds, so this can degrade the clarity that the recording engineer needs to do his job well. The Auralex products are the solution.

I have several apartment-dwelling customers who have been very happy with Auralex underneath their speakers. No, I don't sell Auralex.

In your original post you asked: "However, will that sort of speaker [high efficiency, tube-amp-friendly] be able to navigate the high speed bass attack of electronic music when driven by an amplifier such as mine?"

Oh yes, if designed to do so.

I build lower-90's efficiency tube-amp-friendly speakers, and my son composes electronica. No problems whatsoever with a 30-watt tube amp (though they can handle ten times that), and he has even gigged with this combination.

Duke
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"That said - that was before I realized that what I wanted most from my speakers was speed and transparency in addition to just plain old bass extension. So I was wondering if you were pointing me towards any specific bookshelf speakers with that in mind."

All of the components in the system need work together if you want to achieve your goal. So, if you want speed and transparency, the Jolida is probably not a good choice.
badri OP
69 posts
 
@Audiokinesis Those pads do sound perfect. In my case, I am lucky in that there are just two residences in my building and the lower level is a cafe which plays music all day long and I don't need to worry too much about them. :) Also my music listening levels tend to be bwteeen low/moderate - with only rare bouts of extreme exuberance :) But if I end up hearing any complaints, I will know exactly what to do about it - after I first turn down the volume of course - hahahahahaha :D

It is really cool that your son makes music. What kind of setup do you have, if you don't mind my asking?
badri OP
69 posts
 
@Zd542 Ah - I suspected that might be the case and was surprised that no one mentioned it. While I am not looking to replace my amp right now, when I get around to it, should I even look at tubes or should I switch to solid-state?
badri OP
69 posts
 
@Jazzman463 Thank you for that. I think the limited power I have from my amp might not be enough for electrostatic speakers - which I have heard are power hungry beasts. So I kind of eliminated the Maggies from my consideration.

At this point, I am thinking of the Focal Aria, Triangle Antal EZ, PSB T2, Totem Arro, Sonus Faber Venere, KEF R700, Golden Ear Triton & Revel Performa F30.

I would like to try the Proac recommended on this thread, but the price of new ones is out of my budget.

In addition, I would like to try out some Dynaudio & Dali speakers, but I have no idea which ones I should even try out. Yet. Fun times :)
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