SET with inefficient speakers


i've always wanted to hear how an SET amp would sound at home, but my speakers aren't a good match in theory. they are dali euphonia M4's. floorstanding with two 6.5" woofs. 88db 4 ohm.

however, my listening room is smaller (10'X16'), i sit very close to the speakers, and i don't listen very loud (usually around 80 db level, per recent fooling around with the radio shack meter).

anyone have success with low powered tube amps under similar situation. there is no loacal dealer to do an in-home audition, and i don't want to hassle with different speakers. thanks....
tim1
its not impedance alone that will get you, but rather a combination of low impedance AND hi phase angle. Meaning a highly reactive load.
More info on the speaker, including some real measurements would be helpful.
I prefer low impedance, a 180 degree angle, preferably on a sofa, phase-reversed continuous ohm calibration along with a non-reactive by-passed load of no more than 100 cryogenic microfads wrapped up in double-wound 100% oxygen-free copper, originating from planet Krypton.

Another route, a bit simpler maybe, would be to just sit-back and relax with a glass of wine, forget hi-fi and enyoy music...and life!

No offence intended, with a grain of salt !
Tim,

It is hard to predict whether or not a low-powered SET will work for you -- it depends on your taste and priorities, how loud you need your system to play, the particular characteristics of the amp you audition/buy, etc.

I will hazard a guess that a SET amp is within the realm of possibility, but, whether that would be an optimal choice is harder to guess at. When one looks at numbers, most low powered SETs seem completely unsuitable for all but the most efficient commercial speakers. But, I think most people will be surprised at how low a wattage is needed for satisfying volume.

Sonicbeauty raises a very good point about SET amps, or for that matter, any truly worthwhile "improvement" to a system. As one improves quality, the volume level that one tends to listen at should go down as the listener will not be trying to compensate for lack of resolution or poor dynamics with higher volume.

While SET amps using higher power transmitter tubes (845 and 211) will make power much less of an issue, they tend to give up something in the way of performance to the much lower powered tube types, such as the 2a3 or 45. They tend to be more expensive, too, because of the need for a beefier power supply and high voltage wiring. If you can listen to both low and high power types to assess the tradeoffs.

Another consideration is that a SET amps that truly represent what this genre is capable of delivering tend to be quite expensive. While the circuitry may be simple, really good parts are required. In particular, SETs require transformers designed specifically for this use and really good single-ended transformers are very expensive to produce. When priced on a $ per watt basis, SETs seem even more pricey. But, with compatible equipment, the sound is quite special.
Anytime speakers are being driven by less than the ideal amount of power, "success" will be pretty subjective. I know people who use SETs (not flea power) to drive speakers that spec like yours, and state that they hear no benefit with additional power. I seldom share their assessment. Even when I like the sound a lot, I can still hear gains with an increase in power. There is no right or wrong here. It's just one of those times when there is no substitution for listening yourself.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.

In the SET world, that usually means starting with efficient or SET-friendly speakers and building your system from there.

Any other approach, outside of luck, leads to a lot of trial & error, with most of it being on the error side.