Need help matching a speaker with my tube amp setup

[digicidal]

It's true, your not going to get a heck of a lot of dynamics (headroom) from a low power amp, however, just because it is low powered doesn't mean it is noisy.
I have a little tiny 8 watt tube and it is quite quiet.

P.S. By the way, I also have high powered solid state equipment too.

Welcome! I was referring to "noisy" as it pertains to the average audioholics member - not as it applies to any normal person in any normal situation. There is no distinctly audible noise from the Glow Amp either, even when listening on very sensitive speakers. Or for that matter when trying to drive more difficult loads at much lower levels..

However, that doesn't mean that the output of the amp is without distortion and 'coloration' which everyone here would describe as noise, and therefore unbearable in every case. Around these parts if there is a .0000001% deviation from the optimal... it's crap gear (well as far as amps are concerned at least... since it's impossible with speakers they're a little more forgiving).

 

[AEIOU]

And why I don't exclusively listen to one either. In some ways it reminds me of those monstrous RCA consoles from the 50's and 60's with the speakers integrated into the turntable cabinet.

It was a different world, a different time back then. Everyone had a console stereo, because that was what looked good in your living room. You had to have a record player (changer) if you wanted to listen to records. Back then everything good was made in America, big and grandiose.
Some of those console stereos actually did sound pretty good, considering. . . .

 

[ski2xblack]

Whoabackoff, you still reading this?

I'll share my experience. I've got a soft spot for that single ended distortion profile, and tried SETs with a few speakers. Here they are with my own highly subjective grades.

Klipsch Heritage (forte ii in my case): B- full range, A+ if bi-amped
-My 2 watt amps just don't have the balls required of Klipsch for proper bass on their own. But otherwise SETs and horns go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Bi-amping is the answer.

Def Tech supertowers (BP7006): B+
-SET sweetness, with bass!

Zu Druids: C+
-Not my cup of tea, but not horrible sounding. Punchy, phat sound.

Parker Audio model 95 Sig: B+
-less colored response than Druids at 1/3 the cost.

 

[KEW]

Klipsch Heritage (forte ii in my case): B- full range, A+ if bi-amped
-My 2 watt amps just don't have the balls required of Klipsch for proper bass on their own. But otherwise SETs and horns go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Bi-amping is the answer.

What other amp do you use when you bi-amp these speakers?

 

[ski2xblack]

What other amp do you use when you bi-amp these speakers?

I use an old NAD 2100 I've had for twenty years or so. It's still not ideal (not active biamped, still rely on passive crossover). It's only rated 50 watts, but is one of those old NAD dual rail deep breathers (something like 250w unclipped @ 4ohms, more than sufficient for my use) and has 30A current capacity. It works very well driving those Klipsch woofers. SETs trying to drive the Klipsch full range give that typical, peaky, undamped response (which works great for that old school west coast sound, really fun for classic rock, but you just can't crank it loud enough, and if you have tighter systems to compare to, notably flabby).

 

[LAB3]

Maybe you can find some used Klipsch Heresy speakers...they are extremely sensitive, but I have no idea about their impedance or phase angles.

I agree. The Klipsch Heritage Series speakers were orginally made for tube amps. But for good bass you may need to bi-amp. I had a 15 watt Marantz on my Heresy many years ago and loved it. Loved it better with a little more power.

 

[tjf120]

Zu has some other speakers other than the druids mentioned above.

Zu Omen could be found used in your price range - as others mentioned, full range driver, highly efficient speaker (100 dB w/m type range)