I agree, a fascinating thread and a subject I have been struggling with. I discussed the power issue with Kevin Scott here in the UK, he makes the well regarded Living Voice Speakers, a range built with tubes in mind and with about 94db sensitivity. I was contemplating the Welborne lab monoblocks and Kevin said, they would be great, but limited to small scale music, Jazz combos, solo singers. It is not simply a question of rock, large scale Classical and opera chorus's put similar demands on a systems abilty to cope with dynamic swings.
The conclusion, 7 watts good, 18 to 22 watts of SET power much better. I also concur with looking at 45/845 tubes rather than 300B's, for the frequency extremes. The problem of course, is that good 20watt SET's with adequate transformers, aint cheap. I was lucky to find an ex dem Viva Solista from the audio pimp on the Gon(strongly recommended by the way) for "only"! $3500 new its $9000. It is an 18watt 845 SET and I am pefectly happy, real drive and dynamics, even on compex congested passages. Unfortunately I had to go for a Lavardin IT integrated for warm weather use, equally wonderful, but quite different.
Those 2 amps will keep me happy for the forseeable future. The next temptation is the new range of high sensitivity compression horn speakers Tyler Acoustics is bringing out. When will it all end?
The conclusion, 7 watts good, 18 to 22 watts of SET power much better. I also concur with looking at 45/845 tubes rather than 300B's, for the frequency extremes. The problem of course, is that good 20watt SET's with adequate transformers, aint cheap. I was lucky to find an ex dem Viva Solista from the audio pimp on the Gon(strongly recommended by the way) for "only"! $3500 new its $9000. It is an 18watt 845 SET and I am pefectly happy, real drive and dynamics, even on compex congested passages. Unfortunately I had to go for a Lavardin IT integrated for warm weather use, equally wonderful, but quite different.
Those 2 amps will keep me happy for the forseeable future. The next temptation is the new range of high sensitivity compression horn speakers Tyler Acoustics is bringing out. When will it all end?