sfmorris
Thoughts on Tube vs SS amplification for Sony SS AR1s
Forget tube, your going to need a "good solid state amp" that can deliver copious amounts of current in to 2ohms, if you want the bass of these to give their very best.
With the speakers being 90db you don’t need a huge amount of watts, 100-150w @ 8ohms will do, but they need to double those watts into 4ohms "and nearly double again into 2ohms", indicating good current delivery.
https://www.stereophile.com/images/711SS1fig1.jpg
Stereophile bench tests
The impedance drops below 4 ohms for much of the midrange, reaching a minimum value of 2.7 ohms between 350 and 400Hz and at 95Hz. The electrical phase angle (fig.1, dotted trace) is also quite severe at some frequencies; the combination of 3.4 ohms magnitude and –53° phase angle at 70Hz, a frequency where music can have a significant amount of energy, will require the Sony be used with an amplifier that is not fazed by 2 ohm loads.
Cheers George