Speakers for 55 watts of EL-34 tube power ?

Any more ideas out there ?

Are you against the idea of moving up the Vandersteen line? But if you do, you will need VS subwoofers, at least with the 3As, as without them 55 watts will be a bit underpowered - assuming you love the VS sound - obviously many do. I thought my 3A Signature and a pair of 2Wqs was a superb system driven by CAT JL2s - 100 watt, Class A, triode. Having said that, I auditioned the Merlin VSMs, sold the VS3A/2Wqs, and never looked back - for me the Merlins are simply among the most resolving speakers made at any price - though not completely full-range, their bass depth is more (much more) than adequate for acoustic jazz, and highly articulate (33Hz-22Khz +/-2db). If you live near the Baltimore area, you can come listen to the Merlins in my place, with 35 watts (EL84 - more than adequate power), 60 watts (6AS7 - OTL), and 160 watts (EL34) tube amps and compare them with the sound of your Vandersteen setup and decide which sonic signature you prefer - they are very different speakers.

I just recently got My Cayin TA-30 repaired ( it had a couple of blown resistors) with the intention of selling it but I had almost forgotten how sweet the sound is matched with my Morel/Renaissance Preludes. The Cayin is only rated at 35WPC but it definitely sounds and plays much larger and the Preludes sound excellent with tubes. I purchased these speakers used almost 4 years ago,and every now and then I consider selling them for something else but a simple listening session seems to put an end to those thoughts.

Thanks a lot guys.......... Pubul57, I'm in upstate NY, but I really appreciate your offer. I do love the Vandersteen sound, and my music room is truly my "sweet spot," where I escape the troubles of the world and am able to relax and wholeheartedly enjoy the beauty of my music.

The Vandersteen is a beautiful, well sorted speaker. As was established in the other Vandersteen thread, the 1C is both tube friendly and pretty sensitive so you should be fine with a 55watt amp, though whether the EL34 is ideal for VS is another issue as they both tend towards warmth and smoothness (which does not mean that is not exactly what you want and the type of sound your prefer).

If you love the VS sound, and why not, your issue may be that you can't really move to the 2Ce or 3A without a bit more power than 55 watts, though that may be mitigated with the size of your room, the volumes and the type of music you listen to. In either case, adding a subwoofer would improve either in the midrange and make it easier for your amp to drive the mains. If you love VS, there is no better or more knowedgeable fella than John Rutan as Audio Connection in New Jersey (other than Richard of course:)).