Tube amp with Vienna Acoustics Beethovens?

Thanks for your input Newbee and Mthieme.

I was thinking about amps in that power range but I started to have second thoughts when I read the recommendation chart on the VTL web site. They suggest that with speakers with two 6" woofers to use the MB 185. I was thinking more along the line of their ST 85. Would a <100 watt amp have the damping factor needed to control a speaker with five drivers? The Beethovens have 2 7" woofers, 2 mids and 1 dome tweeter. They present a 4 ohm load but have 91 dB sensitivity.

FWIW I have some 4ohm speakers which I have driven with 4 different tube amps, a 35wt integrated, a 60wt triode, an 80wt pentode and a 160wt pentode. The speakers have 2 woofers, 2 midranges, and a tweeter. They are ported. They have an efficiency spec of 92db. The larger amps drive these speakers with ease at volume levels that can overload the room at 4 or 8 ohms. The smaller amp has the same capacity, volume wise, but for some reason do not sound as smooth in the mids/highs off the 4 ohm tap, which you would think the speakers should be connected, although the bass is just fine. Off the 8 ohm tap they are much smoother but the bass is just a tad soft, a little of the impact gone, but very little.

The point of all this is that some extra power can go a long way, that is the larger amps can drive the speakers better throughout the frequency range even though none of them is really max'ed out power wise. The 4 ohm speakers sound fine on the larger amps on the 8 ohm taps - as with the smaller amp the highs seem smoother. I suspect that the larger ones just have better transformers and can drive the woofers better even at a higher impedence.

Hope this helps some in your decision. FWIW 100 watts of tube power is a lot of power!

I also drove Legacy Focus 2020 with the bat with great results. They have 7 drivers if memory serves me. 3 12',2 6", 1" tweeter and a ribbon tweeter. They are very efficient(95 i believe) and are 8 ohm, and I have heard them rock with 15 watt Cary monos. But getting back to your problem, I think that you will be better served trying to hear your speakers with a similar power amp at your dealer than taking the blanket recommendation of the vtl website. 91db is pretty efficient so don't count out lower specs.

the VTL st85 is a very good value Ihave one and it is a nice amp and quite resonable, I would look for the newer version which has the triode option

Here's an Update for tube amps with the Beethovens. I went to a dealer near me that has both VTL and Vienna Acoustics gear for sale. I listend to a VTL st85 and fell in love with the sense of air and the beauty of the mids and highs. The sparkle and liveliness were intoxicating. The bass was pretty muddy and slow though. I don't think I could live with this amp. I'll try the VTL ST 150 next. By the way I listened to a Bryston 3bsst and an Ayre V5x? in the same sitting and just thought they were boring and uninvolving compaired to the VTL, although they did do the bass very well. I've been ruined by one tube amp audition, one that didn't even make the cut!