Reminder: how to tell current from an amp's specs?

I have to disagree with atmasphere on the issue of low impedance Wilsons doing fine with tube amps. Any speaker that has a demanding impedance curve will not give a flat (to the best of its ability) frequency response if it is not driven by an amp that provides high current (doubles output with halving of impedance).

I'm not saying that you can't use a tube amp with a big Wilson but the speaker will not produce the frequency response that it was designed to produce. You are basically introducing an unpredictable tone control for the speaker. You may like the sound or you may not but you are not getting the sound that the designer heard when he voiced the speaker.

There are speakers like Devore Fidelity that are intentionally designed with a flat impedance curve so they can be run by virtually any amp. My Thiels would sound anemic with a tube amp because they drop to around 2 ohms in the bass region.

I have to disagree with atmasphere on the issue of low impedance Wilsons doing fine with tube amps.

Yeah, good luck with that. 
 

If I can point something else out: Just because your amplifier can drive to 2 Ohms and is able to double power as it does so does not mean its sounding its best when doing so. All amplifiers make higher distortion when driving lower impedances! If you think that distortion is inaudible think again- the increased distortion is audible as increased brightness, harshness and a reduction of detail (distortion obscures detail) because most of that added distortion is unmasked higher ordered harmonics.

Like I said before, I defer to Ralph always.

@soix ,

Ditto.

Bob

@northman "I've repeatedly read that some speakers, notably Maggies, thrive on high current amps. "

Quick answer: If you want to listen to Maggies at normal levels a couple of hundred wpc @ 8 ohms is about right. If you want to turn it up, start thinking about a strong 400 wpc. My Mac 400 wpc amp was used up pretty quick on a pair of .7s. 

Good read, thanks, guys.