Amplifier recommendations for 86 dB Sensitivity Speakers

Given the low sensitivity and that the speakers probably drop below 4 Ohms at certain points I think you’d be really pushing it with your amp.  There are lots of good speakers out there at that price point so I’d look for something else if you want to keep your amp. 

Hi Mamifero,

You have a great amp, but remember that tube amp power remains constant from 8 ohms to 4 ohms, unlike most SS amps. That does not mean your amp cannot drive 4-ohm speakers, however. In fact, assuming these speakers don't have a crazy impedance dip, they will likely sound great. Per the other post, there is no common wisdom that says tube amps cannot sound great with low-sensitivity speakers or that Class D is best. Try your amp, and then make up your own mind.

Agree with the above. If Cayin didn't mention the specs into 4 ohms, chances are the amp is not comfortable with that load. A lot of tube amps aren't. And with EL34s,  you likely aren't getting the same rated power as with KT88s.

Look at different speakers or a different amp. I wouldn't recommend that pairing.

Some useful information about amplifiers in the link associated with this recent A’gon thread (link to thread).

As others have said, not only are your speakers 86dB efficient (SPL @ 1M, @2.83V), but it is actually worse since they are rated for a 4 ohm impedance, which makes them only 83dB efficient for an input power of 1W.  As the impedance spec of 4 ohms is not clarified to be the nominal or minimum impedance, it could be even worse if the impedance drops further at certain frequencies. 

If you are still in the system building phase, then choose speakers that deliver the type of sound you like for the music you listen to, and then find the appropriate amplification that will adequately drive them.  As others stated, if you enjoy tubed amplification then look for medium to high efficiency speakers with nominal impedance of 8 ohms or above and no crazy impedance dips.  If you like the sound of 86 dB speakers with an impedance of 4 ohms (which is the rating of my speakers), then you need to have some power (i.e., current/amperage) to drive them.  Look for amplifiers that double, or nearly double, their output when the impedance is halved and that are stable into lower impedances.  Here is (a link to) a calculator that can determine the SPL output for a given power and speaker efficiency in W/1M (your proposed speakers are rated at 83dB @ 1W/1M so use 83 in the calculation).  Using the calculator, for your proposed speakers, an amplifier rated at 100w/channel/4 ohms will provide a SPL of about 95dB at a listening distance of 12 feet.  Figure out the sound pressure level you want to achieve and compute the minimum needed power rating for amplifiers you are considering.  I am not sure what rated power your Cayin will deliver into 4 ohms since it is rated at 8 ohms, but it may be 100 watts.

My amps do not quite double their power from 8 to 4 ohms, but they are rated at 650 wpc @ 8 ohms so even if they don’t double into 4 ohms there is plenty of headroom to drive my less efficient speakers.  In your case, I would look for amplifiers that provide at least 200 wpc into 8 ohms and that double into 4 ohms.  Using the calculator that gives you a maximum SPL of about 100 dB at full power.  Choose even higher powered amplifiers if you like to listen loud and then, even when not rocking out, the higher power can provide dynamic headroom to better handle musical peaks and to keep things from sounding thin.