Tubes?


I have Revel Salon 2 speakers. Sensitivity is about 85 db. and 4 ohms. They are power hungry speakers. Currently, I am driving them with McIntosh 601's and a McIntosh solid state preamp. I was look looking at a pair of McIntosh MC2301. They are tube amps rated at 300 watts into 2 - 8 ohm loads. I listen to all types of music (sometimes at very high levels). I never run out of power with the 601's, but I am very intrigued with tubes. This may be a misconception, but I remember some friends who played guitar saying, tube watts were louder than solid state? Perhaps this is not really true or not true regarding home stereo. Perhaps the best idea is to keep the 601's and get a good tube preamp?                          Thanks, Dave 
128x128tobor007
I think Ralph and I have been round the mulberry bush on trading speaker efficiency for distortion - sure you can get higher output but at what cost ? Lightweight cones have breakup modes in the passband, horns ( I own them ) are mechanical multipliers, large baffles same... the astute audiophile just knows which distortion they savor
Having said that, I have heard low efficiency speakers driven by several of Ralph’s smaller amplifiers and they sound sublime :-) but certainly not at the SPL you seek.
And it does crack me up when phase accuracy of the amplifier gets mentioned with speakers that start out the impulse test 180 out or with midrange wired out of phase...

it’s a system people :-) 
- sure you can get higher output but at what cost ?
$33,000? The first breakup in my system occurs at 35Khz. The speakers are 98dB and 16 ohms, go flat to 20Hz. Classic Audio Loudspeakers Project T-3.3
@tomic601 

much wisdom in your posts about transformers and lost detail earlier in the chain

we shd all remember that when we obsess over gear