I've been running a variety of HE speakers on the CazTechs - JBL4430 and 4425, OB University 6201 Coax, Lowther PM2a/Medallion, Klipsch LaScala. With ~18 watts/channel of 845 based SET goodness, these are REALLY good amps. Sweet, dimensional, paplable, beautiful 3D soundstage - they do a whole lot right and not much of anything wrong......into speakers that are high efficiency, have no or a non-complex crossover and also have a benign impedance curve.
So I figured, what the heck, let's hook the CazTechs up to the Rogers LS3/5a speakers. Mid-80s efficient, fairly complex crossover and impedance curve. At least these are the 15 ohm Rogers LS3/5a.
Warmed everthing up Friday night when I got home and listened to my usual variety of classical, jazz, rock and blues staples.
This combination should not work, and yet it does on many levels.
From the mid bass through the midrange and up through the mid highs, this combination is beautiful......really beautiful. All of my comments above in spades.
What does it do wrong? I believe that the 'British Bass Hump' (and corresponding impedance curve) is more taxing on the SET amp, even an 845 based SET amp, than it is on the Marantz, McIntosh and Quicksilver PP amps I've been using on the LS3/5as. Complex passages AT LOUD VOLUMES are not handled with the same ease that they are on the more efficient speakers. The only other nit is that the PP amps sound like they have slightly greater dynamic range AT LOUD VOLUMES.
Back off the volume a bit and both issues go away.
IMHO, the LS3/5a works with the CazTech SE845 because 1. it seems that the 845 tube will drive loads that a 300B or 2A3 might struggle with and 2. the LS3/5a does not put a huge demand on the amp to drive really deep bass. When I tried the CazTechs on some B&W DM6 speakers some years back, it was the lower registers that cried 'uncle' first.
One thing this has taught me is to not presume but rather to listen and evaluate.
All of this is IMHO.....YMMV.
So I figured, what the heck, let's hook the CazTechs up to the Rogers LS3/5a speakers. Mid-80s efficient, fairly complex crossover and impedance curve. At least these are the 15 ohm Rogers LS3/5a.
Warmed everthing up Friday night when I got home and listened to my usual variety of classical, jazz, rock and blues staples.
This combination should not work, and yet it does on many levels.
From the mid bass through the midrange and up through the mid highs, this combination is beautiful......really beautiful. All of my comments above in spades.
What does it do wrong? I believe that the 'British Bass Hump' (and corresponding impedance curve) is more taxing on the SET amp, even an 845 based SET amp, than it is on the Marantz, McIntosh and Quicksilver PP amps I've been using on the LS3/5as. Complex passages AT LOUD VOLUMES are not handled with the same ease that they are on the more efficient speakers. The only other nit is that the PP amps sound like they have slightly greater dynamic range AT LOUD VOLUMES.
Back off the volume a bit and both issues go away.
IMHO, the LS3/5a works with the CazTech SE845 because 1. it seems that the 845 tube will drive loads that a 300B or 2A3 might struggle with and 2. the LS3/5a does not put a huge demand on the amp to drive really deep bass. When I tried the CazTechs on some B&W DM6 speakers some years back, it was the lower registers that cried 'uncle' first.
One thing this has taught me is to not presume but rather to listen and evaluate.
All of this is IMHO.....YMMV.
