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Speaker Suggestions for 300b SET Amp

I built an Elekit 8600 300b set amp recently.  It's amazing. I maxed out upgrades (all Takman resistors, Mundorf top end caps, solder/wiring, etc.).  It's a wonderful amp. It cost me $2k to build it and it's glorious.


My issue hasn't been the amp, but finding speakers that I want to use with it.  


I started with Omega XRS 8 Juniors (~$2k). I broke them in for 300 hours and, while they did get better, they largely sounded like the top and bottom ends were just truncated off at both ends the sound spectrum. They sounded more akin to a transistor radio speaker. I feel terrible to say that and I hope others really love them and hear them differently, as the company is great and the owner is wonderful. They just weren't for me.


So, I just paired the 300b up with some inefficient speakers (both KEF LS50s and Wharfedale 80th anniversary Dentons). Both speakers were part of other systems I have.  Both sets, and especially the cheaper Wharfedales, just sing with the 300b.  They do not play particularly loud given their efficiency ratings, yet they sound wonderful for very close nearfield listening. 


But what I'd like to do is go a bit more into the full range speaker category without buying a massive product. Or, I consider a smaller bookshelf/monitor if it were more efficient.


What speakers do folks like with their 300bs?  


128x128jbhiller
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,878 posts
 
I am about a month into owning my Heresys as well and they sound fantastic with my Quicksilver Mid Monos. I was running KT 66 and it was time to replace so I tried the Mullard EL34 repops and along with Mullard 12ax7 input tube and Volshod 6n23eb driver  I have dialed it in exactly where I want it.

My amps don’t even break a sweat with them. Super easy to drive and have a huge soundstage along with good imaging. I love them now they are finally broken in and gel with my amp’s tube compliment. They are very revealing of changes of input or power tubes.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,834 posts
 
@wolf_garcia

When you drive any single-ended amp hard, it starts to make odd ordered distortion. That distortion tends to be on the transients, and our ears use those harmonics to sense sound pressure. So the result is single-ended amps tend to sound very dynamic (REAL LOUD) but unless you actually have have high efficiency speakers (and I think a Heresy qualifies) if you measure the sound pressure you will see its really not all that loud. It just *sounds* that way due to the distortion.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hello Wolf,
Glad to hear that the Herseys are such a good match with your Had SEP amplifier. Did you lose or gain in terms of refinement, musical involvement, nuance tone/timbre compared to your Silverline Preludes?
Charles
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Jbhiller,
These are high efficiency speakers worth looking into.
Vaughn Speakers,  USA (California)
Coherent Audio speakers,  Canadian (Toronto)
Tonian Lab,   USA (California)
Tekton Double Impact and SE versions,  USA (Utah)
Charles 
gsm18439
895 posts
 
I have heard LV in my home with a 300b SET. They sounded good, but with the caveat that I do not play music loud and my house is rather lively when it comes to sound volumes. Depending on where you live, Gary Dewes (from Boarder Patrol) will arrange an in-home audition.
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