Energy Connoisseur C-9 or KEF Q-7 for my Tube Amp


I have a small room and like rock but listen to a bit of everything and need speakers that are versatile. I want speakers that are forward, dynamic, clear, powerful, and have bass. ****Ill be driving the speakers with a Jolida 302B tube amp****. I have IXOS Super Gamma 7 bi-wire and Audience Conductor interconnects.

I can either get the Energy Connoisseur C-9 or KEF Q-7. *I really want the energys but the question is is my Jolida 302B enough (50 WPC) to drive them well?*

Thanks!
jamiec001
Personally, I think traditional floor standers like these are a mistake for you, both becuase of the small room, and because of the passive nature of your speakers, as well as limited power you can provide them.
That said, I love the little Jolida 302with the right tubes! Actually, I like the 6550 ran SJ502b better. Still, those little tube bugers are great sounding bargain gear.
Yet, 50 w/channel is not goign to give you the control and authority, even at low levels, especially with passive speakers you're mentioning!
Now the tubes, as mentioned above, will still have some snap, and will soft clip better than SS, that's for sure. Basically, tube gear is more forgiving of distortion on speakers, yes I concure. And, the tubes do do best on the Energy C1,c3,c7,c9 designs from my experiences. They are a bit foreward and etchy, and like tubes...you bet. The Kef's I've heard briefly, and struck me however as better speakers through and through. but then I like the Kef sound a bit personally.
HOWEVER, again, I still think for rock and heavy dynamic stuff, having either active speakers or enlisting some bass managment to your system is the way to go. I'd even go so far as to recommend picking up the Outlaw Audio ICBM, and putting it in your system, yes!!!!...and thus integrating a well possitioned and preferably "EQ'd" sub into your sytem for best control and dynamic range!
The ICBM will add a "smidge" of softening to the dynamics, but very very little...and nothing compared to the loss of control and dyanamics you'll otherwise have if you simply opt for the "full range" approach from your passive speaker choices listed above...not helped any by the 50w/ch indeed.
In the small room for certain, but in bigger as well, I'd like to see you go down the road I just mentioned, but with perhaps smaller more accurate transducers, I.E., mini-monitors for your room! Spending more on "quality" rather than quality is a better deal. You can then take the time to get a more flexibly placed subwoofer of high musical quality in the system, with things crossed over under 80hz to the sub! You're dynamic range will be leaps and bounds(at least 100-200% better dynamically) with things crossed over to an active participant in the bass region, namely a powered subwoofer(s).
Another option for you in that small room/low powered(yet potentially musical) system is to do speakers with powered woofers built in! Def TEch BP2006's are such, and they are foreward, dynamic(8" powered 100w+), clear, and sound great with tubes. I actually put these on par with the Energy C series, but they're bipolar...if that matters to ya. It's a consideration. In this senario, your amp wouldn't have to drive the difficult bass, just the mid/tweet combo. You could also "EQ" the woofers for absolutely much more dynamic, detailed, fast, and accurate hard hitting bass! Another advantage of active speakers(or active woofered speakers).
This set up would act like a well integrated "sub/sat system", just not as ultimlately flexible, yet entirely effective!
Of course, you gotta like the speakers to begin with. And those DO DO WELL WITH TUBES!..believe me. Although, they aren't as ultimately resolved as the best high end stuff...yet musical and fun for sure.
Anyway, you can check out other floor standing active speakers as options. Otherwise, I recommend smaller better monitors in a small room, crossed over to a sub with bass mangagment. You'll be way better off for rockin, definitely!
They would work ok for powering the mid's and tweeters alright..still better with more power however, but adequate. On the other hand, YOU MOST DEFINITELY WOULD NEED TO "EQ" YOUR WOOFERS IN THAT SMALL ROOM! No doubt a bout it really! Really, that small room can't support anything much under 35hz, so consider.
The subs have controls on them you know. I think im going to get the BP7004, unless someone says otherwise.
Ok, I say otherwise!...so you can't get them now(ha ha)!
Actually, of course they have volume controls, like all active powered sub towers. HOWEVER...AND PAY ATTENTION HERE....just because they have volume adjustment over the bass, DOES NOT MEAN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SIMPLY ADJUST FOR GOOD BASS RESPONSE IN THAT SMALL ROOM! Infact, you'll have major challenges getting flat, fast, "non-boomy", "detailed", well defined, unbloated, balanced, natural, "non-dominating, even bass in that room!..even with adjustement to the controls! The reason?..the room modes in the room, and limited placment/seating options!
You may not even think twice nor consider this. But for accurate hi-fidelity bass, "EQ'ing" and proper set up in that room with those speakers is REALLY NECESSARY for great, even descent results!...trust me. I'm an acoustical engineer, have sold Def tech for years, installed way too much of it(as with others), and understand room acoutics greatly.
of course, if you care little of accurate bass, and non-small room boomy unrefined accurate audiophile sound, then you can certainly stick those full range speakers in your small room, and simply have a "boom fest!" Because that's wahat you're going to get without knowoing what you're doing, and proper adjustement. Basically, be prepared for lots of room anomilies in your bass...with gives the sound that "small room boom" signature, and unatural fundamental sound. IF this matters to you.
Personally, if I were you, I'd look into a good Rane PE17 parametric EQ for the bass woofers, and learn how to use it!!!!!! The differnce in sound is LIGHT YEARS over what you'll likely end up with. Of course, you can get a great deal the way there by playing with speaker and seating adjustment/placment. Still, EQing will do the rest, and you'll need it!!
Why am I harping on this? Becuase this is where everyone screws up, ending up with mediocre sound. You can aviod this!
If you had a large room, with over 600 square feet of space, I'd say you could get away with simply tinkering with placment of gear/seats. But you don't have that luxery, you you're stuck with bass heavy, peaky, boomy, lumply, unatural response if you don't take care!
You've been casually warned...
..otherwise have fun....