Speakers that are good with tubes

@carlsbad I have some buddies here in Denver area with that low-watt, high efficiency approach. It’s pretty magical, and I’m tempted, myself. But that’s a much more difficult path for me at the moment, as it would require getting rid of all my amps and speakers and starting over. I’m moving incrementally, and am currently pretty happy with my non-SET amps (Mono 60’s are great with the KT77s, and the Pass XA25 is really nice, too).

@charles1dad Agreed. Sometimes these threads are like rivers which develop tributaries. Perhaps that’s where I floated!

@richopp Would you say Magneplanars are the only choice -- above and beyond GR Research, Spatial, and others of a similar ilk? Curious as to how you arrived at this very exclusive conclusion.

@richopp We got it. You're a magnaplaner man, through and through.  But I will mention that I was pursuing an electrostatic speaker system when I fell down the tube rabbit hole.  My second system is still Martin Logan CLS.  It wasn't until I found tubes that I was able to exceed the clarity and definition that the electrostatic speaker gives you.  Not bashing your speakers but pointing out that there are other options.  BTW, this is not a magnaplaner thread.

@charles1dad - by the way I love your user name!

So who’s doing this ? People have rightly posted that speaker impedance and phase angle characteristics are factors that require awareness and consideration. This is true as they greatly influence how successfully a tube amplifier will pair with them.

If you rad through the responses, you can see what I am saying.  I do not want to call anyone out so I left my comment as such.

As far as impedance and phase angle, maybe matching a95-99db speaker has benefits but overall unless you are using 100-200wpc tube amp on one of these speakers, a good designed tube amp will do what it takes.  But I am taking class A designed tube amps.  We have a few AB designed tube amps from well know manufacturers in our Listening Room and that is what most people have experience with.  Out 40wpc mono blocks drove the YG Acoustic Carmel speakers with ease and outperformed the $16K Class D amps no contest.

Happy Listening.

@noske Rogue Audio for one. Tube amps aren’t going to double power like you suspect, they are not the same as a solid state amp. Power is going to nominally the same at each tap but the output voltage will change. Of course, it’s best to consult the amp manufacturer for their opinion but I’ve had zero issues driving <8ohm loads on my 8 ohm transformer taps on my tube amp. 

@carlsbad Those electrostatics are pictured under the definition of "listening fatigue" in the dictionary, I think. Still, a step up from any box.

As for Maggies, do what I did with my customers back in the day. Have your dealer bring a pair out, set them up properly IN YOUR ROOM, which is the most important part of any system, and see if you feel you have the best possible reproduction of what the source provides, which may or may not be very good.

If you don’t like them, buy what YOU LIKE. You asked what speakers were good with tube amps. I answered as honestly as I could. Since no one else seems to have suggested Maggies--OK, I didn’t read EVERY post--I did. I don’t see how this makes this a "Magneplaner thread," but if you feel that way, then I guess it is.

@hilde45 Sorry, I don’t know those speakers as well as I know Maggies. OP should have his dealer bring out one of each until he finds WHAT HE LIKES best.

It is that ONLY WAY to purchase anything, IMO.

Cheers!