$$$Sensitive Speakers with $$Amps?

It seems to make good , hard nosed economic sense, to go for High sensitivity speakers and low powered amps. High sensitivity speakers don't need to cost more, the cost maybe is reduced base output. High output, particularly with tubes, cost money, at least for reasonable quality.

I agree amp noise is an issue with plus 100db sensitivity horns, but personally, I have never liked horns. The sweetspot for me, is mid 90's, conventional box speakers. They sound great with as little as 10watts, but 20 seems a better, all round choice. My Dadalus DA-RMa speakers sound wonderful with the 20watt Ayon Spark and cheaper options like the Almarro 318B

Thanks David.

I've been living with conventional mid-nineties box speakers, well, since the mid-nineties. I have gotten years of enjoyment from them. There were multiple rooms with Dadalus speakers at the RMAF 2010 show where I also heard the Horning and Aspara speakers that Jeff was demonstrating.

I'm not a classic horn person, as they don't quite fit my ear. I try, and try again, but I can't fall in love with Klipsch, for example, and Jeff's Aspara offering did not quite do it for me either. I also struggled with "all" the box speaker offerings at the show. I want to blame the rooms somewhat, but my disappointment remained consistent.

For whatever reason (hybrid?), I fell for the Hornings. I must admit that Jeff had a large suite and he's a wizard at setup. Still, I can't get that sound out of my head while all the other sounds at the show have long faded. It was the haunting and intimate spatial presentation which won me over. Not as haunting, but intimate, open, and refreshing, were the Voxativ Ampeggios I heard in Montreal 2011. Equally refreshing in Montreal were Devore's Orangutans. However, with all of these choices, I didn't miss LF extension as much with the Hornings.

I'd like to get back to amplifiers, and have added the < $4K Almarro 318B to my list. Here is the revised list, so far:

Loudspeakers:

Horning Aristoteles
Rethm Maarga

Amplifiers:
Note: I realize some models will be integrated, so a plus IMO.

MiniWatt N3
Red Wine Audio Signature 15
Yamamoto A-08S
Déjà Vu 2A3 (Under $4K?)
Audioprojekte CA10
Traformatic Aries
Triode TRV-A300SE
Almarro 318B

Alkso, try out the sleeper and giant killer of the year amp, the TBI Millenia. Their is a review of this at TNT audio here on the net. When you hook up a 24V battery system to it, you will hear more detail than you have ever heard before, while staying very musical.

A friend of mine has the Rethm Trishna's and he prefers the TBI over his MiniWatt N3 by a fairly large margin.

Thank you Ozarktom, I will check out the amp.

My area of focus is with sensitive speakers being driven by low-watt amps. Are there really super values out there for these type of amplifiers, or do the typical spending rules apply?kennythekey


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Well there area  few issues with SET amps,
They are not my cup of tea. 
But I LOVE if not ADORE high sens speakers.
 When my high sens speakers are ordered next month, my plans are to set up 3 amplifiers.
KT88 100 watter
EL34/35ish watter
SET 250 tube, not sure the wattage,  maybe 25ish. 
My bet is the  EL34/Dynaco Mark4 DIY amp will come out by a slim margin as the winner.
IMHO The EL34 may just be the most perfect tube for high sens speakers. 
We will see.
Will the 100 watt  KT88 work out? 
Ancedotally I've been told, yes it will be acceptable.