new to tubes

My Phase Tech PC 6.1 Two way base mounted speakers are 85 db... 8 ohms. Every tube amp I've owned has been able to run these units without issues.

The 'big deal' here is two fold... #1. speaker impedance.... 8 ohms nominal is a pretty easy load for most any tube amp. #2. Listening levels by prefference is a whole other world.

I suspect the above points are accurate and moderate powered tube amps ought to do fine there for you. Wethere or not you'll acheive 92db at your listening position is still one more story. SPL is the result of both the spaker abilities and the amps output. While you may have sufficient power to gain yourself , 92db at your chair, can the spaeker output those levels with aplomb?

I'm thinking they ought to come close if they don't. I'd opt for an amp with 75wpc and up.

the last thought is the 'tube' sound. it's relative you know? Differing tubes equate to differing views on the sound.... most all tubes though allow for a bit more rounding of the notes, and a skosh less razor edged approach to the notes, and usually much better decays. How sweet, fat, lush, romantic, full, and/or palpable the sound winds up being is on you.

As much as I enjoy tubes, and thtat took a while for me to discover, not every genre and style of music is best replayed by tube amps... IMHO. I feel they come close enough for me however, once you have the proper tube arrangement on hand, but I'd offer too, some music does better generally speaking, with SS amps inline.

I say this as the softness of your speakers (akin to my own 85db) might require you to do some serious rolling, or exchange your speakers for more incisive ones... down the road..... maybe.

My setup enables me to enjoy every musical genre quite well indeed. yet, a strong and very nice SS amp now and then is a real plus thing to have around at times, depending on the mood & musical selections.... ie., Little Feat... Def Lepoard... Queen... Rush... Joe Satriani...

Enjoy the ride and good luck.

I use 50 watt amps with 82 db spendors with no problem.Take the plunge the water is fine!

I'd find out from Fritz the minimum impedance specification. If it's within two or three dB of 8 ohms, then you might get away with a push-pull tube amp, but I would buy as much power as you can afford. Closer to 100 watts the better.

The problem you run into with an uneven impedance curve and tube amps is unbalanced volume between bass and treble frequencies because more decibel watts (dBw) are put into the highs and mids than are put into the bass, which results in the common complaint of the sound being "too bright".

If the speakers have a relatively flat impedance curve, then this is not an issue.

In my bedroom system, I use a Jolida 102b (20 watts/channel) to drive Totem Model One Signatures (87 dB, 4 ohms) at low to moderate levels. With various upgrades (interconnects, power cords, and most especially tubes), the sound (and music) is remarkable. If you go with Jolida, make sure you get a late model unit with the standard factory upgrades (last year or so).

If the 86db/1W/1m sensitivity figure is accurate, it can be calculated that a 60W amp such as the Jolida 502 can provide a maximum spl of 99db at an 8 foot listening distance, neglecting room reflections. A 100W amp would provide 101db.

I second the concerns Grant (Tvad) expressed that if the speaker's impedance curve is significantly uneven (which I suspect is likely, based on the driver configuration), tonal balance problems would result with a tube amp. I did a quick search, but could not find an impedance curve for any of the Fritz speakers. I second the suggestion of contacting Fritz.

Regards,
-- Al