A "blind" speaker recommendation based on specs...


I currently have a box-stock Peachtree Nova that I purchased back in April. I purchased a separate unit at the same time and sent it off to Canada for MEGA-MODS! Basically a 5 month/$5k with all the bells, buzzers whistles. Burson op-amps, all new resistors, caps, high-end next-gen WBT jacks/posts, Furutech IEC inlet, new tube, tube base, internal wiring, volatage switching removed, internal shielding et al. The whole enchilada! And yes, I do know there were & are other options out there. Pardon if my choice wouldn't have been "your" 1st choice.

Now, without mentioning names I'm wondering if I should keep my existing speakers which were new in April or at least consider an upgrade I've been researching closely. In order to maintain some semblence of subjectivity I'll keep speaker proper names out of this and list specs only in an effort to keep things honest/objective.

The Nova is a hybrid integrated SS amp/tube preamp with an honest 80wpc into 6 ohms.

My current speakers are high-end (for a bookshelf) on factory stands, 8 ohm with 88db sensitivity. The speakers I'm considering are also bookshelf on their own 200lb stands, vulgarly spendy uber high-end 4 ohm with 87db sensitivity.

Disregarding getting into speaker-to-speaker sound quality, how much harder/hotter is the integrated/hybrid likely to run with the 4 Ohm/87db setup than it does with the 8 Ohm/88db setup? Significant? Dramatic? Negligible?

TIA

salinas212

Showing 1 response by blkadr

A couple of examples:
I have two very different standmount speakers that are both rated 86db 6ohm. My little 12/20wpc 8/4ohm t-amp makes nice open, full music with one pair, sounds anemic and shut in with another.
The Totem One speakers I used to have could make some 100wpc amps sound small. My friend who has them now powers them with a 25wpc class A Bedini and they sound huge.
Specs can be deceiving, sometimes there is no substitute for hands on experience.