advertisement


Speaker recommendations for a 300B SET amplifier - small room

I am looking for recommendations for a speaker suitable for a 300B SET amplifier (9W) that can work 6ft(1.8m) from my listening position and can't be more than 50cm from the front wall. The speakers are positioned just over 2m apart, and there is over a meter distance from sidewalls.

I tend to like bookshelf speakers or speakers with a small footprint. However, they need circa 90dB or more to get the best from the system in terms of sensitivity. There doesn't seem to be a lot of choices. Am I chasing rainbows?

Happy to buy second-hand or new and budget is up to £4k.

Your help is much appreciated.

Klipsch Heresy or Forte. For use with a 300B amplifier the speakers should ideally be 98dB and above efficiency...
 
Used opera Callas with 9wpc 300b in near field.in a small room Sound like a LS3/5a with better bass & dynamics
Italian so Also look fantastic
Callas - OperaLoudspeakers EN

IMG_4661.jpg

The amp in the picture is using KT88s in parallel single-ended. This will produce a lot more than 9 watts. If properly done (which would surprise me) it should be possible to get about 25 watts in triode mode.
If you are using a 300B amplifier you need to be looking at big efficient speakers, otherwise don't bother.
 
Snell K, or J, possibly AN K or J, consider Heco Direkt 2-way if you can accommodate the Js on stands

LVs prefer to live in space away from walls, so probably not ideal in this case.

Small room and close listening distance means speakers don't need to be 100dB efficient, unless you like to listen loud :D
 
Proac speakers work well with low powered tube amps. I used to have an Audion Sterling EL34 driving Proac Studio 100 and got great results. I bought the Proacs from a seller who demonstrated them with a Minstrel Tube Amp. Although not as sensitive as Snell or Audio Note etc they are smaller in size.
 
Do you think the Heresy would work in nearfield listening position (6ft)?

I don't see why not. I've seen people sitting at that distance using Avantgarde Unos & Duos in a room 10ft x 10ft and getting a huge amount of enjoyment...
 
Time and again I see people tie themselves up in knots trying to make standmounts work with low powered amps - stop doing this to yourselves!

A moderately-sized floorstander takes up exactly the same amount of floorspace as standmounts-on-stands, looks less ungainly, and is somewhat more physically stable, as well as being easier to drive.

If room integration is an issue, look for front-ported (e.g. most Triangles, many Focals, &c.), or sealed-box (e.g. Audionote UK and their Snell predecessors).

Heco Direkt 'Einklang' are a leftfield alternative - single driver with a whizzer cone, base-ported, wide-ish baffle but narrow front-to-back, and thrive close to walls. Pricier, but not entirely dissimilar are Zu's various offerings, worth a try if a used pair comes-up at a sane price.
 


advertisement


Back
Top