SET the best?

I still own my Cary 300B monos and my Cary 805 monos, but the speakers I'm using at the moment (Ohm 100s) won't play nicely with either of these amps. Right now, I prefer the Ohm/ARC VT130SE combo to anything I can hang off of either Cary. So, SETs can be great, but you've got to find a suitable speaker you love.

Marty

I've been a SET convert for about a decade. I have no desire to go back to Solid State. While the limitations of SET are well known (low end frequency can't match SS, Need efficient speakers) I think their strengths (mid range magic, unbelievable presence, non-fatiguing sound) are worth any inconvenience. I have 3 SET amps (300B, 2A3, 45) and they each have their own special sound. I love using the 300B with Orchestral or more complex music, 2A3 with Jazz, and 45 with chamber music or simple vocals. SET amps are also very sensitive to tube changes so you can fiddle to your heart's content in tailoring the sound to your liking. I think everyone who loves audio should try SET out at least once. It's like a rite of passage.

Breuninger, Wow! My sentiments exactly. Well said.

I use SET PP SS designs tried most everything. I enjoy good SS and SET amplifiers but for SET get the right loudspeakers or not so nice. With the right designed loudspeaker a SET can produce deep detailed bass much SPL with low distortion. But loudspeaker will not be small. Still most all systems have limits and a fullrange driver plus SET can be very enjoyable and still have fidelity, not all about colorations and distortions like many say but acurate and detailed as any SS based system. Still for SET best to have loudspeaker designed for power output of amp a 45 SET does not drive loudspeakers as well as hi-power SET;) And will need more care with loudspeaker matching, most 300b set can drive vintage designs and allows more options with loudspeaker choice. 45 SET can sound wonderful but not if loudspeakers not matched. One should always look at audio as a system and SET owners need even more thought to total system matching than most other amp designs.

Johnk ;
I realize you probably don't want to blow your own 'horn' here , so can you enlighten us on the qualities that we should look for in a speaker for SET use ? Particularly refering to the bass issue that you eluded to . We also would be interested in the issue of complicated music refered to above .
It would be helpful if you could go beyond the afore mentioned high db. rating and flat high impedence curve .

You may pm me or ask for a more approprite thread on the speaker page .

Thank you.