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

I bought a tube amp that had 4 ohm taps and speakers that were 6 ohm nom. Speakers had an impedance dip into the 3 ohm range. Ran them for the first year on the 4 ohm taps and they sounded fine. Then for kicks, tried the 8 ohm taps and never went back.T

...Until I bought Tannoys. Much better match for my amp.

Consider a high quality single driver speaker like Voxativ, if you’re searching for musical speed and detail — especially with 300B driven SET. Zu audio can be driven nicely with a low power amplifier but offers more bass with its powered woofer.

It depends on the tube amp and room size as to which speakers sound good with tube amps. 

I had a 20 watt Raven Audio tube integrated driving the supposedly tube non-friendly KEF LS50s in a medium large room and the sound was glorious. 

Also a 100 WPC rogue audio amp with great success driving 86db Harbeths.  

Flip side a 3 WPC SET tube amp likes much more sensitive speakers- e.g. 93db Audio Note AN-J or E.  

I love these threads and how they twist and turn, altering the "purity" of the OP questions.

It's like asking two different people how a piece of electronic gear works:

A typical guy off the street would reply "Push this on-off button".

An electrical engineer would be frozen in place by the complexity of the question.

My Klipschorns have sounded great with a CJ tube amp & preamp, CJ preamp and modified Hafer SS amp, and now wirh a PL integrated tube amp.

( my only concern with the PL integrated is how at listening levels the volume knob is barely cracked open.)

All the “classic” Klispch speakers, some Altec Lancing horn speakers and some of the older JBL horn speakers. I’m not familiar with the newer ones. But like others have said, it’s not all about the watts.