2. amps-preamps
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new to tubes

i have never had any tube equipment and am thinking about trying it out. i am learning slowly about it and thinking about taking a leap with a lower priced piece. i currently have a Cambridge Audio 840v2 integrated amp and a pair of Fritz Grove monitors. my only source is a Squeezebox Touch. i already plan to get an Eastern Electric Dac. my only concern is how much power is enough to drive the groves as they are only 86db efficient. my room is only 13'x 11' treated,and i dont listen past 92 db. i'm thinking on the lines of a Jolida 502b to start. trying to stay under $1000 used. any thoughts?
rayray8
learsfool
1,206 posts
 
My initial thought is that you will have a hard time finding an inexpensive tube amp that will drive speakers that are only 86dB efficient. Not being an expert on the electrical side of things, though, perhaps others will have some more concrete suggestions.
daverz
477 posts
 
60 Watts should be plenty of power to drive the speakers in that room.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Your speakers have an 8 ohm rating, a minimum recommended power of 25 watts from the manufacturer and your room is very small. You shouldn't have any problems at all.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I agree with Learsfool. To implement tube amplification properly, you would have to rethink your speakers and replace them with a model that was more sensitive (at least 92dB, IMO) and with a flat impedance curve (preferably *minimum* 6 ohm nominal, with a low impedance not below 4 ohms).

The Fritz Grove speakers are not going to be a good match with a tube amp.

Also, you will undoubtedly receive some recommendations to implement a tube preamp to get some tube flavor. I disagree with this approach. It's a poor substitute for what you're really after, which is tube amplification.
facten
931 posts
 
Why not contact Fritz and ask directly from the manufacturer; never heave dealt with them but would hope you'd get a transparent answer
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