Most beneficial change .


I am seeking opinions about what to change first , my speakers or my amplification .

I have a Primaluna Prologue 2 integrated feeding Reference 3a Decapo i speakers from a Granite Audio 657 CDP using the tubed side most of the time . I have rolled the input tubes on the integrated to warm things up some which helped nicely . The system is in a small 10'X11' room on the diagonal with some room treatments . The room is carpeted and my chair is overstuffed leather with a matching foot stool .

I get good tone , extension , details , resolution and PRaT but it is kind of boring ! It all sounds pretty good but I don't want to tap my toes ,bob my head or play the air guitar ! I can listen for long periods of time with ease but just don't want to . Easy to fall asleep ! I guess that I would like to increase the dynamics and musicality . I prefer tubes .

Suggestions ?

Thank you for your input .
saki70
Tholt;
I have tried to build a system that will sound good at lower volumes . Most of my listening is done at speaking volume or a little higher . Remeber that I am sitting 6ft. from the speaker face . My speakers are 91db. at 8 ohms and 6 ohms nominal . How loud I listen depends on the type of music . I prefer classic rock to be louder than say jazz and singers and standards .

I have found , that if it needs to be turned up to sound good , I am not getting much use out of that all important first watt . My tinnitus will kick in louder and , for some music , the seductivness will not be as evident . For me , this is where some of the synergy aspect comes into play when matching an amp to speakers .

As an aside , I have tried removing the grills when running the KT-88's and did not notice any difference . May be different with the EL-34's .

Thank you .
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Those speakers are notorious for sounding poor with the grills on. I'm quite surprised.
10-13-09: Saki70
Tholt;
I have tried to build a system that will sound good at lower volumes . Most of my listening is done at speaking volume or a little higher . Remeber that I am sitting 6ft. from the speaker face . My speakers are 91db. at 8 ohms and 6 ohms nominal . How loud I listen depends on the type of music . I prefer classic rock to be louder than say jazz and singers and standards .

Good efficiency speakers @ 6ft away -- yes I would think you wouldn't have to (or want to) turn them up to sound good. My speakers are prob not the best match for my amp -- they could use more power. But even so, I also like to turn it up 'just because'.

BTW this is a pretty interesting thread, more useful then most from a troubleshooting standpoint. I suspect it's the nature of your question in that it's open-ended instead of already hinting at a direction to go. And of course you got as many opinions as there were people to post. But still, useful info for anyone really.

It is interesting that speaker grills off achieved no greater extension, airiness, etc then with on. I would wager, however, that you won't achieve any MORE of the aforementioned with them on.

good luck.