What speakers for a tube amplifier?

Virtually every loudspeaker will sound well with a tube amplifier.

The bigger problem is the selection of the right tube amplifier for the speakers, source and how we listen to music.

The market also offers tube amplifiers with a power of 100-200W. These watts are usually much more efficient than with transistor amplifiers in a similar budget.

tube amplifier and bass

The question is what we are looking for in sound. If the main criterion is bass, control and dynamics, we should play 1000W class D amplifiers per channel. These, however, are not very popular, because the broadly understood control of the column and the amount of electricity is not a definition of good sound.

I had 30W tube amplifiers that sounded much better than 200W transistors and 8-10W on the bass, which had a better band than 50W lamps.

Much depends on the loudspeaker transformers, the capacitors used (e.g. the oil ones will be more colorful and more detailed in the diameter, but slower and less precise on the bass), the type of lamps, or the topology of the amplifier.

And what about ‘high-efficiency columns for lamps and with friendly impedance’?

This is, of course, true, but another generalization that does not always apply. Nobody buys a low-power lamp for hard playing …

andPowerful lamps can handle difficult loudspeakers no worse than many powerful transistors.

I would even be tempted to say that good, strong lamps will drive difficult loudspeakers better than low-class transistors with inflated watts.

Besides, if we are talking about ‘steering loudspeakers’, people usually mean quite strong playing and bass control. Very often we also speak of obtaining the appropriate sound pressure – that is, compensation for the problem of a small converter or a very complex crossover.

In the case of quieter listening sessions, or when we focus on the midrange and flavors without any problems, such ‘difficult’ loudspeakers as ATC, von Schweickert or Wilson Audio will even play with a weak lamp. It will have some limitations, but I assume that no one buys 300B or 2A3 for rock music.

Low power lamp + power-hungry column

My friend is driving Sun Audio 2A3, which has a 3.5W ATC SCM50 (with Halcro monoblocks in the back room), another legendary Sonus Faber Extrema 845 in Single Ended (22W). Only in both of these cases we already say using very good tube amplifiers and conscious treatment in order to obtain specific effects.

I myself listened to the 20 sq m showroom, for example, Wielkie Snell A2, von Schwieickert VR-4 or ATC SCM40 with Audion Silver Night and it was objectively a very high quality game.

If our repertoire is very different, we listen loudly in a large room – such a combination will bring very large limitations in the listening volume …

first watts withSingle Ended LampsThe vast majority of them are much better than the transistors – especially the AB class.

Based on the tests that I ran a good Single Ended lamp – even relatively low power for quiet and moderately loud listening, it is able to cope with most of the speakers.Provided that we properly put the rest of the track.

So what speakers for a tube amplifier?

For Single Ended

A good single end can be tested with most loudspeakers, being aware of the limitations resulting from the power. If we do not play loud and very complex repertoire, and the main evaluation criterion is not bass and its control – it can handle it. We will get a percentage in the diameter, space and textures.

Singles and pre-linear

It is also worth using pre-linear with a large gain, which improves what ‘weak triodes’ are poor – macrodynamics, allow you to listen louder, and other sound features of the line (which should be as if linear – do not add anything from each other, However, the sound affects) allow, for example, to push the vocals forward, or on the contrary – it is better to arrange the stage between the loudspeakers.

Contrary to popular opinion, Triody Single Ended – the best sound often resembles what we stereotypically associated with playing transistors.With the difference that in the diameter we have many more decay, three-dimensional, textures, colors and shades. It is usually a thin line. Very precise, apparently arranged sources on the stage, fantastic dynamics and openness.

You can even talk about a kind of bonyness in the sound, which should be supplemented with a column, or a source with a fuller, more fleshy sound.

The drawback is one – the louder – the more difficult it is for such an amplifier to be properly led by the speakers (which is why pre-linear works so well)

Single Endy, however, usually fare poorly with narrow speakers – drivers below 6 inches and monitors.For singles, rather than 15W, or monitors with a fuller sound. Unless we don’t mind poor listening at low volume levels, but this is the domain of most monitors – especially the small ones.

Push Pulle

In the case of amplifiers (More about PP amplifiers here) It is a bit different – there is usually more power there, but also often the bass has more volume. PP amplifiers play with a thicker line and they are most often associated with this tube, slightly looser, sweeter sound … and precisely thesepushpullewith a power of 10-30W. Of course, we will find very dynamic devices among them – but these are usually more expensive constructions, or you need to know where to look.

Push pulls will theoretically drive more loudspeakers due to more power.Most of this type of amplifiers can easily handle speakers below 90dBFor loud and harder playing.

However, if we want to take advantage of the charms of such a lamp – the source should not be free and playful, because we will create dumpling and slow sound.The source, which with the AB transistor seems to be neutral, with a linear triode often turns out to be warm, and a slightly thicker pushpull is quite glued together.

However, this type of amplifiers is better at dealing with monitors and narrow speakers. This is the solution I would say the most compromise – that is, nice price, nice amount of watts. Depending on the model, brand and lamps, the nature of course may vary.

Such an SUV

Pushpulls above 50W, and in particular those above 100W, can easily drive virtually all loudspeakers. However, it is not that let’s give the most difficult column as it will pull – it will pull you – but a high-class boost of such power.

Although the lamps can be used for difficult, but not just any loudspeakers and not as a recipe for difficult loudspeakers with loose bass with large volume and large drops of impedance.

This is where the greatest advantage of transistors lies and it is worth using them.

So it is worth combining all columns with a lamp?

Yes and no.

They are all worth trying with a lamp, but you need to create the right conditions for them and have loudspeakers that have the potential to show what the lamp has the best … A very good linear triode, for example, will reveal a weak source … but also poor loudspeakers.

Very interesting speakers that slightly break most of the conventions are Audio Phase Flow, which they are currently testing. 4ohm impedance, 3 roads, 10 inches on bass, ‘only’ 90db of efficiency. Meanwhile, he is doing great with a triode. By choosing their electronics, you can get a more philosopher or melo sound. Thanks to the large bass, you do not need to compensate them with a very strong and expensive amplifier … but you can 🙂

If you already have an amplifier and you have no idea what to buy … Feel free to contact me: we will choose something 🙂

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