Well, millercarbon has got me reading all I can find on Raven. My concern is I’ve only used a B&K 200wpc (ex442) for the 15 years I’ve had a real stereo system. It is driving refurbished Ohm Walsh 4s and two REL T5 subs. The subs are using the high input and wired to the speaker binding posts. Speakers and subs are seamless, so switching to rca to the subs and a high pass crossover will be a deal breaker. It’s hard to just have faith 30 watts (osprey) will manage. The Ohm Walsh sensitivity is 89. Moving up to the Reflection puts me over the price of the Brystons I have been considering. Maybe I should find a used 30wpc tube amp and see how it does? Are all 30wpc tube amps created equal in terms of speaker driving force? I’ve never thought about tube gear much.
First, I have to stress this is exactly the sort of problem I aim to avoid in recommending people avoid speakers under 92dB. Instead of stressing you would be happily buying and enjoying. Oh well. I put this out there for others, that they may avoid ever finding themselves in this situation.
Also to maybe help you realize, there are actually speakers out there you might find a whole lot more enjoyable. It’s not like a skin graft you know. They are holding you back right now. I hope you realize that, as much as you enjoy them, they are holding you back.
The high level sub issue is a non-issue. There are several options and I have covered them all in detail and happy to do so again. But all you need to know for now is as far as the subs go the amp is irrelevant, how they connect is irrelevant, and the speakers are irrelevant. Look at my system. Five subs, three different types, one powered four passive, and I have run them every which way- high level, RCA, you name it- and with different mains. Read my system comments. Some of them were with Talon Khorus, some with Tekton Moab. All mention extremely good coherent bass. Cannot stress enough how irrelevant this is in your decision. Get whatever amp you want, we will figure out how to hook it up. It will not be hard. Easy as pie.
Ozzy62 is absolutely correct. Tube watts are nothing like solid state watts, I don’t care what anyone says these people are what we call "wrong". It isn’t even the tubes. It is what Oz said, the transformers. Look around, you will find tons of people with low sensitivity speakers like yours gushing about how the little Raven with 30 watts drives them with more power and authority than a hundred SS watts. This is what I call situation normal.
It is a shame there’s people around here with severe MDS. Well a shame but entertaining once you are able to see it for what it is. My comments are gold. Some others too. But all that glitters is not gold, and you just have to learn to toss the fool’s gold up on the bank and go back to panning for the real thing.
