SET the best?

SET. However, if you feel that you need the entire frequency spectrum at decent or full weight, then you may end up disappointed


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You might be refereing to the 300B tube amplification.


My tech says avoid 300B.
Cayin has a  massive incedible 845 witha  300B power tube as driver.
I am not sure this is the right mix,.
Will the added 300B tube make the sounda  bit too tuby/fluffy.

The 250 tube SET I have borrowed from my techs hand made collection, has slam, massive bass. On the wide band8 92db + Seas W18E001(duals per channel)

Don't underestime a  SET;'s bass SLAM potential.
SET's can rock matched with the right speakers.

wolf_garcia5,865 posts05-28-2020 1:44pmIt is interesting that one can box yourself in with a lower watt tube amp, and deny yourself the vast multitudes (and clear large margin majority) of 83 to 90db efficient speakers...I check efficiency in every review and simply say meh...it will be a while before I lose interest in efficiency, and I'm happy with the sound of my massive 12 watts into horns...the dynamics are there, the clarity is there, the musical "correctness" is there, and I'm there.

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The vast majority of speakers are low efficient, unefficient, poor efficient.
Like you the very 1st thing i ck is 
~~~~~db sens level~~~~
I boughta  single brand new Seas
New Flagship tweeter
~~Crescendo~~ Seas on their site claijms 92db
So I bought it on the cheap/winning bid.
. Not even close to 92db. More like 84db
IF THAT!!!!!!!!!
at 84db, you will need
~~~Jadis's JA800~~~ to  force it to sing..

WBers at 92db (true db sens) and on up, , now here is where a  SET amplifer gets happy.

My friends 6w+6w 250 tube had made amplifier, packs a   punch in bass. 
The Seas W18E001's with 87 db, ROCKKK  on Sophie Milman's  recordings.

I've got all kinds of nice mods in my Jadis Line stage and Jadis DAC, that now finally can take on presence
Mundorf Caps, Takman resistors.
New high  tech Class A JFET's opamps in the DAC, 4 duals. 
Now these tweaks can voice via  higher gain on the DPL linestage vol pot.
Vs the Defy's over load 12 KT88's power, where gain could not be more than say 9 oclock with spilling over massive SPL strain on the speakers

SETs allow the mods to come alive with usage of more gain on vol. 
+ the WBers are more happy with SET power vs PP  power. 
Its a 
win-win-win

, if low efficiency speakers make a come-back


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So you think the energy sucking xover types are falling in popularity??
Look at the speaker page.
Your average low efficiency speakers get top attention.
High sens = WBers?pointSource/Full Range single driver + all Horns in one camp

vs
Seas/ScanSpeaks, / all A-Z xover style speakers /Stas/panels..in the other camp= Low efficient, low db sensitivity.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE

Wow!

Not necessarily.  I own two low-powered pushpull amps (both custom builds) and a very good SET amp (Audio Note Kageki), and even limiting the analysis to my personal taste, my particular room and my system, I cannot say that any particular amp is unequivocally the best.  I have a relatively SET friendly speaker system (99 db/w efficient) which is also necessary because my pushpull amps are also very low in output.  My overall favorite amp is the pushpull 349 amp (5.5 watts/channel), but, it doesn't deliver the subtle tonal qualities in deep bass that the Kageki can deliver (it sounds more punchy than the Kageki, but this punch is a bit "mechanical" in its sameness). 

I think that the best amp I've ever heard is an OTL amp that is also a custom build.  It manages to deliver the explosive dynamics and liveliness one expects from an OTL while not being the least bit harsh and edgy.  The next best is a pushpulll 252 amp (a tube similar to the 300b, but not murky and bloated sounding) that I heard side-by-side with the Kageki that made the Kageki sound limp and drab.  The next amp on my personal favorite list would be the Audio Note Gaku-On (parallel SET) or my 349 amp.