Speaker brands to consider for tube amp?

kelly001
kelly001 Posts: 10
edited October 2007 in Speakers
I've read that Klipsch's design on the whole is a sure bet with tube amps. What other brand(s) would you consider well suited for tube amps?
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  • avguytx
    avguytx Posts: 1,628
    edited October 2007
    Back in the early days, PWK did a lot of testing with Solid State amps, too. When I first went to the plant in the late 70's, I remember seeing some Dynaco, Pioneer, Sansui, etc, SS stuff. He said he liked testing/voicing his speakers with some of the mainstream amps that were available. He also had a lot of tube stuff around back then, too. When I was at the Klipsch Museum earlier this year, a lot of those older tube (McIntosh, Newcomb, Knight) and SS amps were on display in different cases. The first time I heard the Klipschorns, it was on a 15wpc Yamaha SS receiver at Custom Audio in Little Rock, AR. It was an amazing demo...that's for sure. But horns do seem to like tubes a lot.
    Richard? Who's your favorite Little Rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it........................Spanky?.................................Sinner.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,007
    edited October 2007
    ummm... it's not really that simple.
    What amp? Power output? Single-ended or push-pull? Triode or pentode? No feed back, ultralinear, Williamson?

    Vintage Altecs are hard to beat with good tube amps. I just have retired my Klipsch Cornwalls for a pair of Altec Valencias, in fact.

    www.lansingheritage.org

    There are nice high-efficiency fullrange drivers that mate very well with some tube amps. I am rather partial to some of the Fostex drivers, but also some of the very modest (but no longer available) Radio Shack fullrange drivers.

    www.fullrangedriver.com
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  • Gaara
    Gaara Posts: 2,415
    edited October 2007
    kelly001 wrote: »
    I've read that Klipsch's design on the whole is a sure bet with tube amps. What other brand(s) would you consider well suited for tube amps?

    I wouldn't. I would find a speaker that matched my personal preferences/room/budget and then pick a amp to match. I can't understand basing your speaker decision around an amp, I always find the speakers and then find a amp that will work with them as well as my listening preferences (formats, types of music, volume).

    Jared
    The Basement HT
    PC Rig
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  • kelly001
    kelly001 Posts: 10
    edited October 2007
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ummm... it's not really that simple.
    What amp? Power output? Single-ended or push-pull? Triode or pentode? No feed back, ultralinear, Williamson?

    Onix SP3
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  • kelly001
    kelly001 Posts: 10
    edited October 2007
    Gaara wrote: »
    I wouldn't. I would find a speaker that matched my personal preferences/room/budget and then pick a amp to match. I can't understand basing your speaker decision around an amp, I always find the speakers and then find a amp that will work with them as well as my listening preferences (formats, types of music, volume).

    Jared

    Not always easy to do since it's hard to find places to demo these types of speakers.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,007
    edited October 2007
    Not familiar with it. Going to google...
    hmm... 6L6 family, push-pull, claimed 38 wpc. Without a schematic, I cannot tell much more.

    Vintage Klipsch should be pretty reasonable; Cornies or Chorus II maybe.
    The amp is ostensibly powerful enough you could use almost anything (well, OK, probably not Maggies).

    Depending on what sort of presentation you like, you might be very happy with even fairly inefficient speakers.

    Electrostatics would be fun to try with it.

    EDIT: Do you like "smooth" or "in your face"?
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  • avguytx
    avguytx Posts: 1,628
    edited October 2007
    I had a pair of Valencias (846B's) earlier this year. I tried to like them but they just weren't my cup o' tea. I think more than anything, it was room acoustics because they weren't going to be in my living room (24 X 22) but in my office (14 X 13 or so). I did listen to them in my living room for a short time and it did make them better and ran them on some different tube and SS amps. They were a damn good looking speaker, though.
    Richard? Who's your favorite Little Rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it........................Spanky?.................................Sinner.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2007
    What's your budget?
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • kelly001
    kelly001 Posts: 10
    edited October 2007
    mhardy6647 wrote: »

    EDIT: Do you like "smooth" or "in your face"?

    Definitely "smooth". I'm also looking for a speaker with a fairly retro look (wood a must) and that will not be overkill in a small room (maybe 10' x 13')
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  • kelly001
    kelly001 Posts: 10
    edited October 2007
    Face wrote: »
    What's your budget?

    $500-$700 max (used or new).
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,007
    edited October 2007
    I would seriously consider (and please don't laugh) a pair of ads L710, L810, or L910 (depending on cost and availability).

    I am not in the know on new speakers, being planted firmly and happily in the vintage domain.


    EDIT: FWIW, I have a pair of L710s and I was quite impressed (and surprised) by how dang nice they sounded driven by my everyday piece, a push-pull EL84 amp (EICO HF-81).

    P1020547.jpg
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2007
    Tannoy is pretty laid back and efficient. But for your price range, your selection is going to be limited.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • venomclan
    venomclan Posts: 2,467
    edited October 2007
    Gaara wrote: »
    I wouldn't. I would find a speaker that matched my personal preferences/room/budget and then pick a amp to match. I can't understand basing your speaker decision around an amp, I always find the speakers and then find a amp that will work with them as well as my listening preferences (formats, types of music, volume).

    Jared

    I agree.
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited October 2007
    The ADS line is a good suggestion. I have the big L1230s that are 94dB efficient and work great on 30 watt amps.

    Here is nice list of speaker brands that are great for tube amps. They are more esoteric and won't be in your current price range, but knowing what is out there is half the battle.

    http://www.welbornelabs.com/recomendspeaks.htm
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,007
    edited October 2007
    Here is nice list of speaker brands that are great for tube amps. They are more esoteric and won't be in your current price range, but knowing what is out there is half the battle.
    For the record, Ron Welborne's list is geared towards super-efficient speakers for use with flea-powered amps (e.g., single-ended 2A3s at 3.5 watts). Not that there aren't some good ones on the list; but the OPs amp with PP 5881s will have a lot more latitude in selecting speakers than, say, a "DC Darling" at 750 mW per channel.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited October 2007
    I like ADS speakers although the bass comes across a little soft but the midrange is spot-on.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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