Tube integrated amps

I'm driving Dahlquist DQ-20's in a medium sized room with a CJ CAV-50 (45 watts/per). I believe the DQ-20's are rated ~86 db (not sure of the if they are 4 ohm nominal). They get plenty loud for me.

This is not just a question of loudness and an amp may sound fine to you with a particular speaker till you hear the same speaker with an amp that is better matched and you suddenly realize what was missing - usually in termso f top to bottom balance. Tubes should be fine if the impedance cureve is smooth, which Dynaudio claims it is, but at 86db you will occassionaly feel you are running out of juice with 30 watts IMHO, I think you would be better served with someting around 60 watts to hit 105db peak transients.

I get what you mean Pubul57. Somebody who's heard them at their full potential will probably be able to find out if the balance isn't quite right. The loudness factor isn't everything, true. But is there any way to determine, by a listening test, if the top to bottom balance is good or less than that, for someone who hasn't heard the same speakers with more powerful amps ?

Khwarezm, proabably not. I would think the ability to make that type of assessment comes from experience with listening to a lot of systems and developing an ear for good, natural, and balanced sound. Unfortanately it is not very easy to determine the compabatibilty of an amp and speaker on paper, or in theory - although certain specs can be red flags that one should be aware of; you have to listen and the more familiar you are with the sound of top flight systems the better you get at judging and evaluating sound reproduction. I remember reading or being told, that when you start in the hobby listen to the very best system you can (whether you can afford it or not)to establish a baseline of what a system can sound like at its best. I remember thinking when I got my first "high end" syste, with NAD integrated and Polk 10B speakers that it couold not possibbly get any better, it sounded great - but I had a limited reference. I suspect that these speakers with a 30 watt integrated could and would sound just fine, till you heard them with a 60 watt tube or 100 watt SS. This is just my guess based on the specs, but practice has thrown many a theory out the window, so....

Do you have a dealer or freind in your area that would allow you to bring you speakers over the try out. Get a feel for how much power you want or need. I have a fisher 400 that is used with rogers ls3/5A's that sound quite nice. The fisher 400 is about 26 watts and the rogers are rated at 82 db @ 15 ohms. I admit a 15 ohm speaker is much easier load for a tube amp than a 6 ohm speaker.

You can also call the manufacture and ask their opinion on which of their integrated amps can handle speakers with low impedance. Everyone I have talked to are very helpful and would give their recomendation as to which of their products would handle your speakers.

I have not heard these integrated amps from Cary, Rogue, Audio Research or VTL but they all appear to be good products. Do your reseach and give it a try.