Ohm Walsh Micro Talls: who's actually heard 'em?

Coot, 100 watts/tube=500 watts/ss, if this were the case, an awful lot of people would have given up on solid state a long time ago. This just isn't so and is another hi-fi myth. I don't think I have ever seen quite this amount of exaggeration though to be honest. Watts are watts into the same load.

At any rate, within the amplifiers capability and not clipping, tube or solid state will work into the Ohms, just depends on how loud you like it and how big the space you have to fill. Many have tried tubes, some stay with one or the other. A matter of flavor at times, others a matter of drive and dynamics. Finding a good match that you like with Ohms is what matters most, your ears, your system. Enjoy them! Tim

Love the new site. But, it look slike black ash veneer is no longer an option. I love my 2000s and center in black. Some day, I want a pair of wall-mounts for the rear-surround channels, and I'd like them to be black as well. Maybe this is a custom order?

Frazeurl: I have long guessed that tube amps sound louder because their distortion products are pleasant. If a SS amp begins to distort, you would either turn it down or off. But the distortion and clipping characteristics of a tube design would not stop most people from listening. Since we hear distortion as loudness, tube amps are said to sound louder given the same rated output before clipping. My $0.02

Thank you guys for your comments. I have no plans to move to tubes, just something I have not seen mentioned wrt amps for Ohms. Really a moot point as I plan on upgrading my 5000s to some form of the powered F with the 15", keeping my original cans.

Coot, a SET would not work for the Ohms. A push-pull of high wattage (such as a McIntosh, would need about 150 wpc for the 5000) tube would be fine. My approach with inefficient speakers is to concentrate on a tube preamp with a powerful SS amp. That way one can play around with tube swapping without busting the bank (preamp tubes are relatively inexpensive), and tubes last much longer with the modest amount of amplification of the preamp. Some of the tubes are cheap, and some cost upwards of $1200/pair, like the Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B, and with amps you might need to replace the tubes in as little as a couple of years with heavy use.

Bond, that was why I said "within an amplifiers capability and not clipping" bit. Once that happens all bets are off, but I do understand what you mean, tubes are a bit more graceful when they clip, or can be, and I suppose the argument could be made that tubes even when running within their limits, still have distortion figures quite a bit higher than solid state in general, it is just a more pleasurable distortion if you will. Still I find so many claims of tube amplification sounding like "more watts than solid state" to be somewhat silly. Anyway, I should just let it slide really. No big deal.

I am sure John will do you black finish on your surrounds/rear channels too still. It is too popular to not do it. It is just good to see the website take on a major improvement after all these years!

Take care Bond and all. Enjoy the tunes. Tim