I have a pair of Fostex 208 Sigmas in Zhorn backloaded cabinets. They are unbelievably quick and exciting, but as it is well said, they are also very demanding in the type of watts you feed them. I have tried my set up with Op amp powered solid state, 47 Labs Shigaraki integrated...the sound, it was outstanding and lighting fast. Also, I currently have it powered with a Final Music 6 battery powered op chip amplifier, but in this case, with a tube regulated power supply...The sound is also intense and wonderfully uncluttered. Finally, I have paired the same drivers in a self constructed Voigt Pipe (cost be a grand total of about $80 for the plywood and other hardware, about $450 with the pairs of drivers included) with a Assemblage 300B Platinum edition tubed amplifier along with matched WE tubes and these were also amazing in the vocals and the quickness.
For the price being, a single fullrange driver experience have been eye opening. Nevertheless, there is a catch, you will find that the low end is not as heavy or as noticable as in other dynamic speaker set up and this lack can easily be remedied with a powered subwoofer picking up the low end duties.
What you need to be aware of is the quality of the amplification....If it is SS, it needs to be extremely good, not necessarily powerful, the design needs to be well executed and the lower the power, the better, therefore of the use of the OP amp based amplifiers.
But
with tubes, ahhhhhh. A match made in heaven.
Single fullrange speakers do not waste money or frills in capacitors and other crossover thingies, just in sound.
BTW, I am planning to get myself a pair of FT2000A cabinets made for my F200A with Alnico drivers. Have you considered this design? The F200A is not longer being made and Madisound has some in stock.
Good luck.
For the price being, a single fullrange driver experience have been eye opening. Nevertheless, there is a catch, you will find that the low end is not as heavy or as noticable as in other dynamic speaker set up and this lack can easily be remedied with a powered subwoofer picking up the low end duties.
What you need to be aware of is the quality of the amplification....If it is SS, it needs to be extremely good, not necessarily powerful, the design needs to be well executed and the lower the power, the better, therefore of the use of the OP amp based amplifiers.
But
with tubes, ahhhhhh. A match made in heaven.
Single fullrange speakers do not waste money or frills in capacitors and other crossover thingies, just in sound.
BTW, I am planning to get myself a pair of FT2000A cabinets made for my F200A with Alnico drivers. Have you considered this design? The F200A is not longer being made and Madisound has some in stock.
Good luck.