help w/amp demo

What a way to go. Wish a had a 'Sounds Real' type dealer in my area, one that comes to your system. That is the best way to determine whether a significant improvement in your system sound can be achieved.

Excellent suggestions by Tvad, as usual. The one thing I would add, with respect to your question about having enough power, is that a key variable is the dynamic range of the music you listen to.

I also have 90db speakers, in a 13 x 20 room, with the listening distance being about 9 feet. I am currently using an 80W tube amp (keep in mind that is only 3db more than 40W). On well recorded, minimally compressed, wide dynamic range classical symphonic music (which I listen to a lot) I find that the 80 watts is adequate, but just barely. A small nudge on the volume control above the position I normally set it to will result in slight but noticeable clipping.

On virtually all other kinds of music, listening at loud but sensible levels, the 80W is very easily adequate. A possible exception being things like some of the 1980's Sheffield Labs direct-to-disk LP's, some of which have dynamic range that is not likely to be encountered elsewhere. I haven't listened to those yet since I replaced my 200W solid state amplifier, which could handle them easily with the 90db speakers.

Best of luck!
-- Al

Additionally, the sensitivity rating of the speaker can be less of an indicator than the impedance curve or consistancy. Tubes do best with a fairly flat (or certainly not wide fluctuations) with the impedance load. I don't recall off the top of my head how the curve on the Ariels is. If it is a fairly flat curve, you are probably okay. Of course, for $450 you can look into a Paul Speltz autoformer which is supposed to help to address this (at least from what I understand of it).

Thanks a lot everyone. Very helpful.

BTW, I listen to a wide variety of music from Rock to Jazz to Funk to World. But, no classical. I get the impression that the dynamic limitations of a less powerful amp may be less of an issue for non-classical music, which is less dynamic?

Oh, and I just looked at the Speltz autoformer (I use his anti-cables and ics and think very highly of them). Anyone have any experience using such a device?