Can the Manley Neoclassic 300B handle a 2 ohm load


Hi all,

l am very interested in this amp, however my speakers have a load dip down to 2 ohms, although nominally they are 3 ohms plus. Rated at 96db efficency however.

Would the Manley be OK with this type of load, or will the bottom end be MIA?

Cheers Simon
mondie
Not a suitable combination.

Efficiency match is ok, but the impedance match is poor. Look for an 8 ohm speaker for this amp.

If you want to keep the speakers, then you need an amp capable of low impedance loads, which is not any SET amp, nor most tube amps in general.

There are some tube amps that can do it, like a Wolcott, but under 2 ohms is generally SS territory.
The Decware Zen/Select amps love a 2 ohm load. I have a friend that purposely builds a series of speakers with 2 ohm impedance specifically to be used with the Decware amps.

If you can live with about 1.5-2 watts/channel, it might be a good choice. Of course, you could buy/try/resale a used one and lose nearly nothing since they are inexpensive to start with and hold their value pretty well.

BTW, I don't own a Decware amp, but I have a few friends that do. They love them and I've heard their systems. They can be very good in an appropriate system.

Enjoy,

TIC
If you really wish to keep your speakers, you may want to consider an impedance matching device, like Paul Speltz's ZERO autoformers (http://www.zeroimpedance.com). I have been evaluating them in my system for about 2 months, and have been pleased with the results. Mind you I purchased them not as a long term solution to keep my speakers, but more or less so I could continue listen to music at a high level of resolution while I attempt to find an 8 Ohm speaker that is complimentary to the rest of my system. Also, the ZERO autoformers seem to be system dependent - in other words YMMV.
Sdatch is right, with the Speltz autoformer you could make the impedance load appear to be anything from 2 to about 20 OHMS and several selections in between each with a different sonic flavor. Try them they are fun.