Which 300B SET for SF Guarneri Homage?

Daveyf,
Have you personally heard these amplifiers? I have and forming an opinion based simply based on specs alone is`nt good advice at all.Per the stereophile measurements this speaker has a very favorable load and phase angle(8 ohm nominal and minimum 5.8 ohm0 with it`s 87db sensitivity and the given listening preference of the OP the Frankenstein could work quite well. The Dragon amp would certainly drive these spearkers but the OP expressed an interest in the 300b amp. I`ve experienced a number of times when a lower powered tube amp(with good transformer and PS) have matched or outperformed a higher power rated amp on speakers with a suitable load. Numbers don`t always tell the whole story.

Charles1dad, have you heard these amps with the GH's? I admit I have not, BUT I have heard several low powered 300B amps with these speakers that are clearly a poor match . What you end up listening to is basically distortion. I think YOUR advice is actually very poor IF you haven't heard the amp/speaker combo that the OP is asking about. My suggestion, IF you read my post, was for the OP to try and hear the Frank/GH combo for himself and then decide. That is really the only way that I know of wherein one could be absolutely sure that the combo works well enough for the OP's taste.I agree that numbers don't always tell the whole story, however, as I own the GH's ( Do You also?) I know that these speakers do NOT work well with lower powered amps and are NOT that easy to drive ( Plus, I have a much smaller room than the OP!) So, a safe bet would be the Dragon's and the Frankenstein's a very questionable choice, IMHO ( regardless of the transformer and PS).
BTW, your point about numbers also applies to your statement that the GH's have a very favorable load and phase angle ( aren't these numbers?)

Daveyf,
We both can agree that listening to the GH/Frankenstein combo would be ideal. I`ve not heard this GH just as you`ve not heard the amp in question. I did place this amp on a friends 89db/8 ohm speaker in a larger room than the OP`s room and they sounded very good and strain free. All 300b SET amps are`nt created equal and yes, power supply and transformers matter greatly. Based on my experience wirh this amp(which the OP specified by the way) I simply feel it could be a good match. Regarding numbers some are more relavant than others. Certainly in this case the known load characteristics of a speaker is critical when considering a match with SET amplifiers as oppose to just knowning the wattage rating without context.Can we also agree that all 10, 50, 200watt etc. amps don`t preform the same despite identical power ratings

I second one of the earlier posters - Canary CA-339 - 50 watts of push-pull 300B power. Everything you like about 300B's but with real world power.
Built like a tank and weighing nearly the same.
Available for reasonable amount used on Audiogon fairly regularly.

I think the OP may be getting a little confused at this point. Will it work or won't it? My answer still is, "it could".

I haven't heard the CF's paired with the GH's so I don't know how "that" pairing would work and even if I have, what works for me may not for the OP.

What I gleaned from reading the topic was:

His 30 watts from his Aleph 3 was sufficient for him.

He likes Opera (midrange?), he's not looking for louder, he wants a more "real life" experience and wants to try a 300b. I think the "right" 300b amp might give him that (for ultimate purity, try and stay single ended). My Cary 300b's put out 15 wpc. That's 3 db less power/not a big deal/might work for him/does for me. I get a beautiful midrange.

The dream would be for him to try an amp out and see for himself. The reality is, that's going to be tough. So, short of that, you gather as much info as you can and make the best decision.

How loud is probably the most important factor. With the 87 db spec, you will not get 107 db out of any 300b single ended amp. On the other hand, you can you can get 77 db with 1/10th of a watt, 67 db with 1/100th of a watt. Ever hear how loud 67 or 77 db is? Not so loud for some, enough for others. (Factor in listening distances and the size of the room).

So again, in a 300b/GH pairing, I say "it could" work. Depends on how loud and the quality of the amp.

Where is my award? I want my award! ;-)