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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
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,793 posts
 
If 7 watts won’t do it, you’ll need a lot more power due to the logarithmic characteristic of the human ear.

The hotter tweeters were the result of simply pushing the amps too hard.
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
Thanks Ralph. If I get the chance to do an amp shootout for the PREs, you're on the list.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,179 posts
 
Having researched this issue myself now for quite a while, if I were running a SET and looking for good sounding HE speakers to match on a budget, that can play ANY kind of music well, Klipsch Heresy III, hands down, easy decision. These were originally designed for flea powered tubes amps of the day ~ 50 years ago and are still around (track record) and the latest versions I’ve heard sound wonderful, none of the bad things one often hears from audiophiles about high efficiency horns apply.  See the various online reviews for more evidence of this.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,793 posts
 
Having researched this issue myself now for quite a while, if I were running a SET and looking for good sounding HE speakers to match on a budget, that can play ANY kind of music well, Klipsch Heresy III, hands down, easy decision. These were originally designed for flea powered tubes amps of the day ~ 50 years ago and are still around (track record) and the latest versions I’ve heard sound wonderful, none of the bad things one often hears from audiophiles about high efficiency horns apply. See the various online reviews for more evidence of this.
The throat and overall shape of the horn is essential to it working properly; these days computer modeling should have sorted out any anomalies that caused by past errors in this part of the design. Thus modern horns should be as smooth and revealing as any other speaker technology. 



charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Mapman,
Interesting recommendation of the Klipsch Hersey. Wolf Garcia has waxed poetically on this forum about this speaker and how well it has mated with his low watt Had SEP amplifier. I tend to get the impression that it provides suitable refinement and tonality (I haven’t heard it).

It seems it would be a possible competitor to the Tekton Double Impact which I have heard with my SET amplifier. It was a very good sounding match. I can attest to the fact that it was easily driven by my 8 watt amplifier.
Charles
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