Speakers that are good with tubes


I have see several recommendations against tube amps powering certain speakers. But which speakers are known to really like time amps, especially high powered tube amps?

lewl28

Tubes, typically at least, give a warm sound that had absolutely nothing to do with efficiency of the speakers themselves. Current of your tbe amp would be more important than power. But assuming a typical audiophile 100-200w tube amp you can drive any speaker. For tubes I'd always recommend Magnepans, and which would depend on room size. They will sound great with a tube's warmth (and let's not forget different tubes have different sounds on different amps). And I don't think you specified, I am assuming a tube power amplifier or integrated. If it's pre like my CJ, it would further depend on if you have tube power or SS. 

In my humble opinion, I can't ever picture myself pushing Klipsch speakers with anything OTHER than tube amplification -- to me that combination is just a match made in heaven.  I am not that familiar with a wide variety of horn speakers, but music lovers I've spoken with over the years always seem to pair tubes with horns.

I understand the value and intrinsic benefits of smaller tube per amps.  In my case, I opted for power and have a pair of McIntosh  MC3500 Mk2 power amps being driven by a McIntosh C2700. I am running Focal Scala Evos which sound great, but what are other speaker options?
 

You can have a 4 ohm nominal speaker sound just fine running the 8 ohm tap on a tube amp. 

@tubeguy76 With full knowledge that the tube amp will have to produce twice the power that it was designed for.  This is not a risk I would consider to be prudent.

Are you prepared to name the manufacturers who said it is safe?  How about running a 2 ohm speaker from an 8 ohm tap?  That may sound just fine, too, until smoke appears.