2 Ohm Tekton Pendragons


I was just looking at the new models at Tekton. They have a very interesting new version of the Pendragon with the 5-driver array from the Dynamo Monitor. Looks good. But it's $2200/pr loudspeaker. Is there a similarly priced audiophile quality amplifier that can consistently drive a 2 ohm load. And that's an average rating which means that it must dip below 2 ohms at some frequencies. 

Does this puzzle anyone other than me?

Glen 
128x128spacecadet65
LOL not at 2 ohms MC it just won't happen with a valve amp. A Mac will do 2 ohms in series or paralleled. BUT only in mono. At 4 ohms in mono they sound OK at best.  2 ohms, you could fry eggs on it.. I have no doubt.. The older MC275 get HOT.. @ 8 ohms.. Every Mac I own runs better at 8-16 ohms.. same power, little difference from 2 ohms to 24 ohms, same wattage or very close.. They just sound better, because of the bandwidth, and distortion.. They run 1/2 the heat index too, @ 12 - 16 ohms. Tough to beat a MC240 all dolled up.. They really don't like 4 ohms.  HOT!!!!
Idol worship is an interesting phenomenon.

why 2 ohm? Shoot for one. Zero.....sure why not as long as it’s high efficiency. Loads are overrated.  
With a tube amp, the issue is not only whether or not the amp can drive the low impedance load.  Because tube amps often have a high source impedance, the speaker impedance at all frequencies must be high enough so that frequency response is not affected significantly by the high source impedance.  Also, because the speaker voice coil is moving in the magnetic field or the driver, it develops a "back EMF" that can be absorbed (damped) by the amplifier if there is a sufficiently high ratio between the speaker impedance and the amplifier impedance.  Tube amplifiers, because of their high impedance provide less damping and this becomes significant if the speaker impedance is too low.  The extent to which such "ringing" or lack of damping is deleterious to the sound is a matter of taste.  This is why tube amp fans generally prefer their speakers to have a high impedance.  

I tend to find that, while there are theoretical reasons for avoiding low impedance speakers for tube amplifiers, in practice, even 4 ohm speakers can be mated with suitable tube amps.  But, I wouldn't push it to such an extreme as a speaker with a nominal 2 ohm impedance, unless I have an opportunity to audition the pairing.
Reading the marketing write up on the site for the product, sounds like this product is pitching a unique sound to its cult like fans. I suppose distortion associated with low impedance speakers used with most amps would produce a unique sound that some might take to and not find elsewhere.
But based on pure science it sounds like a bad idea. Which means some rebels out there will love the idea just because it defies science/common knowledge. Plus they probably will go loud faster than many and maybe not even damage their amps. Would have to see more detailed measurements like those on Stereophile to know the likelihood. Can’t imagine anyone would sell a speaker that kills amps though it reads like these would have a better chance than most anything else. Who knows. Could just be all marketing hype.....another product that is somewhat different to garner attention. Time will tell.
2 ohm nominal? Wonder what the low and high impedance is at the various frequencies. 2 ohm nominal suggests it will be even lower at some frequencies.

someone is bound to review these and do some measuring just because 2 ohms will attract attention if nothing else. I’d like to see that.

there have been popular cult speakers with very low impedance over the years. Apogee comes to mind. Some people swear by those ribbons and will do what it takes to find an amp that can do them justice.
Who listens to MC anyway? He is so wrong on many of his comments. A 2 ohm load is going to be a problem for most amps. With speakers like what MC has, you would be spending around a grand or 2 for an amp to match the caliper of his speakers and no way are you going to find an amp that will handle a 2 ohm load at realistic volume levels.
Also, a couple of reviewers that have reviewed Tekton speakers have stated their 96-96db ratings were over exaggerated by 7db, a typical speaker will be in the 86-90db range