Matt:

You didn't provide enough information for someone to give you an
informed answer. How big is your listening room? What types of music
do you generally listen to and at what volumes? What is the power
delivered by your current amplifier? What is the efficiency rating of
your speakers?

Usually, in my experience, a tube amp rated at 40 wpc will appear to
deliver more power than an equally rated solid state amp.

Cheers,

Jack

Matt Zach wrote:

I am looking at my first tube amp. It delivers 40 wpc class A. I own an
inefficient pair of A/D/S 810 speakers.
Will I have problems with this amp driving these speakers ?
Thanks,
Matt

Matt, It would depend on the size of the room and how loud you like your
music. If you have a large room and like your music loud, then 40
watts/ch would not be enough to drive inefficient speakers.

-MIKE

A good 40wpc tube amp could be plenty for you, but it depends upon how
loud you listen. The ADS monitors were typically 4 ohm as well as
being inefficient, which presents a challenge for a tubed amplifier. A
situation a Bryston would love, but not so for most tube amps. Still
you may be very happy with the tube amp if it is reliable. It also
gives you a built-in excuse to go speaker shopping later!
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com
Roanoke VA
(540) 343-1250

"Matt Zach" wrote in message
news:i5kVb.116358$U%5.597623@attbi_s03...
I am looking at my first tube amp. It delivers 40 wpc class A. I own
an
inefficient pair of A/D/S 810 speakers.
Will I have problems with this amp driving these speakers ?
Thanks,
Matt

On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 22:45:52 +0000, Uptown Audio wrote:

A good 40wpc tube amp could be plenty for you, but it depends upon how
loud you listen. The ADS monitors were typically 4 ohm as well as
being inefficient, which presents a challenge for a tubed amplifier. A
situation a Bryston would love, but not so for most tube amps. Still
you may be very happy with the tube amp if it is reliable. It also
gives you a built-in excuse to go speaker shopping later!
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com

Curious comment you made about 4 ohms presenting a "challenge" for a tube
amp. My experience has been the opposite. The majority of tube amps are
quite tolerant of tough speaker loads - much more so than many transistor
amps. Of course, you want to use the best match from the output
transformer windings, but most tube amps have a 4 ohm tap. I've been using
a set of modded Dynaco MkIIIs with my (4 ohm) Magnapan 1.6's for over a
year and just love the sound. If I listened to music at head-banging
levels, I'd be shy some power, but then the Magnapans would have been a
poor choice for someone with those listening tastes!




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"W. Oland" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 22:45:52 +0000, Uptown Audio wrote:

A good 40wpc tube amp could be plenty for you, but it depends upon how
loud you listen. The ADS monitors were typically 4 ohm as well as
being inefficient, which presents a challenge for a tubed amplifier. A
situation a Bryston would love, but not so for most tube amps. Still
you may be very happy with the tube amp if it is reliable. It also
gives you a built-in excuse to go speaker shopping later!
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com

Curious comment you made about 4 ohms presenting a "challenge" for a tube
amp. My experience has been the opposite. The majority of tube amps are
quite tolerant of tough speaker loads - much more so than many transistor
amps. Of course, you want to use the best match from the output
transformer windings, but most tube amps have a 4 ohm tap. I've been using
a set of modded Dynaco MkIIIs with my (4 ohm) Magnapan 1.6's for over a
year and just love the sound. If I listened to music at head-banging
levels, I'd be shy some power, but then the Magnapans would have been a
poor choice for someone with those listening tastes!

"Head-banging" is the ease of finding quiet replacement tubes, matched
pairs, heat dissipation with resultant equipment destruction plus biasing
situations. Restrictions on how loud I should have or wish to play my music;
room size I might want or end up having to use, the load presented by the
speakers are intolerable. Would you buy a car than limits itself to 70/mph,
requires frequent maintenance by a scarcity of mechanics and replacement
parts? Why and what for, sound better? In the end analysis Magnepan and
their dealers demos their products with SS. Perhaps one dealer or another
has to move some tube equipment, but I don't see going that route.

Well, if the fellow wants to listen to Bach at low levels
then he has no problem with 4 ohm speakers of low efficiency with a
good tube amp. You may not like the situation or Bach, but then you
are not subjected to listening to the rig. Neither am I, nor would
I buy it, but I like to let consumers make up their own minds about
what sounds good to them. It is a viable option even if we don't fancy
it ourselves. I don't see any problem with tube failure at those
levels either.
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com
Roanoke VA
(540) 343-1250

"Norman Schwartz" wrote in message
...
"W. Oland" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 22:45:52 +0000, Uptown Audio wrote:

A good 40wpc tube amp could be plenty for you, but it depends
upon how
loud you listen. The ADS monitors were typically 4 ohm as well
as
being inefficient, which presents a challenge for a tubed
amplifier. A
situation a Bryston would love, but not so for most tube amps.
Still
you may be very happy with the tube amp if it is reliable. It
also
gives you a built-in excuse to go speaker shopping later!
- Bill
www.uptownaudio.com

Curious comment you made about 4 ohms presenting a "challenge" for
a tube
amp. My experience has been the opposite. The majority of tube
amps are
quite tolerant of tough speaker loads - much more so than many
transistor
amps. Of course, you want to use the best match from the output
transformer windings, but most tube amps have a 4 ohm tap. I've
been using
a set of modded Dynaco MkIIIs with my (4 ohm) Magnapan 1.6's for
over a
year and just love the sound. If I listened to music at
head-banging
levels, I'd be shy some power, but then the Magnapans would have
been a
poor choice for someone with those listening tastes!

"Head-banging" is the ease of finding quiet replacement tubes,
matched
pairs, heat dissipation with resultant equipment destruction plus
biasing
situations. Restrictions on how loud I should have or wish to play
my music;
room size I might want or end up having to use, the load presented
by the
speakers are intolerable. Would you buy a car than limits itself to
70/mph,
requires frequent maintenance by a scarcity of mechanics and
replacement
parts? Why and what for, sound better? In the end analysis Magnepan
and
their dealers demos their products with SS. Perhaps one dealer or
another
has to move some tube equipment, but I don't see going that route.

Uptown Audio wrote:

Well, if the fellow wants to listen to Bach at low levels
then he has no problem with 4 ohm speakers of low efficiency with a
good tube amp. You may not like the situation or Bach, but then you
are not subjected to listening to the rig. Neither am I, nor would
I buy it, but I like to let consumers make up their own minds about
what sounds good to them. It is a viable option even if we don't fancy
it ourselves. I don't see any problem with tube failure at those
levels either.

Ah. Problem. Bach, espeically his organ and choral works are
very agressive with dynamics as well as heavy on the bass.
4-6 times volume on the loud parts as the quiet ones is common.
60 db suddenly peaks at 90db or higher, with a temporary 100db+
spike as the system tries to keep up.

That means a heavy power supply and a decent amount of headroom.
At least 100db for peaks, even with "quiet" listening. He could
get a very nice SS amp for the price of a tube amp capable of
handing the music he wants to listen to.

The Tocata in D minor alone has thrashed at least one pair of
speakers in my case. That first loud transition blew the hell
out of the cheap midrange due to a less than optimal crossover design.
Then I got my first pair of JBL monitors almost 20 years ago and
they could handle it.

Even quietly playing, it is very easy to turn it up too high
to adequately hear the bass - and then you get the midrange
harmonics creating odd oscillations in the speakers. One piece
of St. Saens, for instance, would always make my speakers buzz
at a specific point/note. Of course, that probably helped to
create the blown midrange after a couple of years.

Classical is deceptive sometimes.

Maggies and a small tube amp with Bach? He should just get
a small Bryston or used McIntosh and save some money.