Looking for speaker suggestions for Valve Amplifier

Yeraditya

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Hi All,

I have octave V80 SE amplifer and am looking to test a few speakers over the next few months<assumption is that budget is good, though not the criteria>. Currently own qAcoustics concept 500.

Have been suggested:
1. Devore o96
2. ProAC K6 Signature
3. Avantgarde Uno XD

Listen to a lot of Film Music, Rahman and carnatic music. But would like it do a good job of Left and right channels of Hometheatre as well.

Are there some brands and lines for me to consider and audition?
 
The Indian dealers demoed their PMC speakers with this amp.
So you can audition this pairing in Mumbai.
Not sure about Bangalore.
However imo, the speakers deserved double the power of the Octave, to be able to dig out the lower end and reap the benefits of the TL design in the PMC.
Not a good choice for Octave imo but you may consider as this pairing is available for demo.
 
Welcome to the Forum. You have a great amp which can drive most speakers hence options may only be limited by availability in bangalore for audition since at the price range you are looking at, audition is a must. So you might want to consider a travel to Chennai or Mumbai as well.
BTW What source do you use for your music ?

Id suggest writing to some of the reviewers who have reviewed this amp and getting their suggestions before finalising the list.
The one speaker range I would recommend wold be from Wilson Audio. FM @sidvee has one and he can give you pointers on the how and where to audition it. another would be the B&W 800 series.

Avantgarde is great as a range and available in Bangalore at audio lounge and while you are at it you could also try Rockport speakers and YG acoustics. You could connect with Prithvi of absolute phase. I believe he has Devore Fidelity in bangalore
 
I drive my Blumenhofer Big Fun 17 speakers with an Octave V70 Class A. Much lower power than the 80 SE, but they are a great match. While exploring an amp for my Blumenhofer speakers, the folks at Octave told me that Blumenhofer are an easy to drive speaker. At the price point you're looking at, you could surely explore the Blumenhofer Genuin series, very easy to drive too - not sure if a demo will be possible. I'm in Bangalore so you could come over and listen to my setup.
I've heard Octave paired with Graham and PMC in past Whathifi shows in Bangalore/Mumbai, and was quite impressed.
 
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Hi All,

I have octave V80 SE amplifer and am looking to test a few speakers over the next few months<assumption is that budget is good, though not the criteria>. Currently own qAcoustics concept 500.

Have been suggested:
1. Devore o96
2. ProAC K6 Signature
3. Avantgarde Uno XD

Listen to a lot of Film Music, Rahman and carnatic music. But would like it do a good job of Left and right channels of Hometheatre as well.

Are there some brands and lines for me to consider and audition?

Hello,

My speaker suggestions for you :

Start off on the right foot. Speaker rule one : Seek a HORN loaded speaker - which has an efficiency of 100dB / Watt minimum.

An example : Your initial post's third suggestion, an Avantgarde Uno XD, with two horns per enclosure, would get you there, it has a rated sensitivity of 107 dB. The German firm has been in business for a long time ( I think they started out with their all-horn "TRIO", which is well known as being GOOD ). They do generally know what they are doing.

Why select only a horn system ?? There are a multitude of most basic and truly great reasons !!!!

1) The horn speaker allows use of our world's best performing amplifiers.

1a) It will be a special tube amp, which in 2022 can readily outperform all known to me solid state amps, very easily
1b) It will be low powered , which outperforms high powered tube amps, usually ten Watts or less....... is best
1c) It will be Single Ended, which when at the fringe - edge of audio tube performance, out-performs slightly, push-pull tube circuits.
1d) It will importantly use ZERO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK circuitry, which is a total necessity for any serious music listener

1a) to 1d) is what it takes for the maximum in performance and excellence, based on all I know.


Compared to other speakers, a well implemented horn speaker will have

2) lower audible distortion, especially on brass instruments and on orchestral crescendos !!!

3)
It can also have seemingly instantaneous dynamic response and superior dynamic resolution, missing speaker-wise everywhere else in audio !!!


Your existing and lovely Octave V80 SE amplifier ( KT-150s Push Pull ) looks fantastic to me, I like it on many many design levels.

Note : ( I would consider an Octave V80 SE to a wise amplifier choice, for people who didn't get their speaker selection correct, to start with !! )

But my point to you ( and most reading ) is , WHY should you be in that group ( that gets speaker selection wrong according to this post ?????? ) to start with !!??

I generally like and applaud the Octave V80 SE design, but sadly, it misses on three out of four of the key above-listed design goodness parameters : ( missing....... 1b) 1c) and 1d), ..........) ?? !!

I have heard great things about one manufacturer's KT-150 amp. That KT-150 tube is used inside a zero NEGATIVE FEEDBACK modern ( 2021-22 ) tube circuit - Single Ended.

Back to the Avantgarde UNO XD, the only possible negatives ( to my view ) could be use of DSP circuitry, and the bass section - being non - horn loaded. I have few long term doubts about the two middle and upper horn sections they used.

Other decent horn speaker systems exist, on the new and used markets, at reasonable to high price levels. Forum private-mail or phone me, and I would be happy to share with you my now 54 year journey into high efficiency speakers. I made lots of goof-ups along the way. You can benefit from all my mistakes in audio.

Jeff Medwin

Here below is a EXPENSIVE ARC P-P amp owner, and low efficiency ( Polk Monolith ) speaker user's letter to me. It is from only 10 hours ago. A single KT88 tube, a DIY SE amp build he just completed - , his first build ever, heard on borrowed pair of 1983 Klipsch speakers . Fellow is 60 years old - a mechanical engineer :



7:42 AM (10 hours ago)
to me, Eric
Jeff/Eric,

I owe you guys an update. Sorry for the e-mail but I am still working today before having family come in for Thanksgiving.

For a quick update, I am blown away at how good this SET amp sounds with high efficiency speakers. I am more excited about audio than I have been in 20 years.

I have a pair of stock 1983 Cornwalls hooked up with zip cord cables. These speakers have cheap steel screw posts and the only thing that worked for the functional test was cheapo wire I had laying around.

I am ready to put my expensive push-pull ARC and my beloved vintage Polk 1.2TLs to the curb. It’s crazy! The way I feel right now, is that I will only pursue high revealing systems with high efficiency speakers.

If I get rid of the Polk monoliths, that frees up real estate for VOTTs!!

I am so pumped that I actually built this thing with my own two hands!!

More to come later.

Rick
 
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Welcome to the Forum. You have a great amp which can drive most speakers hence options may only be limited by availability in bangalore for audition since at the price range you are looking at, audition is a must. So you might want to consider a travel to Chennai or Mumbai as well.
BTW What source do you use for your music ?

Id suggest writing to some of the reviewers who have reviewed this amp and getting their suggestions before finalising the list.
The one speaker range I would recommend wold be from Wilson Audio. FM @sidvee has one and he can give you pointers on the how and where to audition it. another would be the B&W 800 series.

Avantgarde is great as a range and available in Bangalore at audio lounge and while you are at it you could also try Rockport speakers and YG acoustics. You could connect with Prithvi of absolute phase. I believe he has Devore Fidelity in bangalore

Thanks. Source I have two chains currently:
Roon -> CXN V2
Roon -> HQ player -> Holo May 2

The store in bangalore does not have enough variety. May have to go to Mumbai or Chennai.

Devore I have already had a listen and really liked.

I drive my Blumenhofer Big Fun 17 speakers with an Octave V70 Class A. Much lower power than the 80 SE, but they are a great match. While exploring an amp for my Blumenhofer speakers, the folks at Octave told me that Blumenhofer are an easy to drive speaker. At the price point you're looking at, you could surely explore the Blumenhofer Genuin series, very easy to drive too - not sure if a demo will be possible. I'm in Bangalore so you could come over and listen to my setup.
I've heard Octave paired with Graham and PMC in past Whathifi shows in Bangalore/Mumbai, and was quite impressed.
Do you suggest I reach out to folks at octave? Will be happy to come over and have a listen sir. Will DM you
 
Hi All,

I have octave V80 SE amplifer and am looking to test a few speakers over the next few months<assumption is that budget is good, though not the criteria>. Currently own qAcoustics concept 500.

Have been suggested:
1. Devore o96
2. ProAC K6 Signature
3. Avantgarde Uno XD

Listen to a lot of Film Music, Rahman and carnatic music. But would like it do a good job of Left and right channels of Hometheatre as well.

Are there some brands and lines for me to consider and audition?
This topic is of interest to me as I'm also exploring speakers, albeit passively. More than a set of pointers, I would add some suggestions for your search.

Music is very personal and anyone else's opinion shouldn't be given weight. Everyone has their own preferences and limited exposure to audio systems. I'd rather suggest that you explore as many systems as you can find. Regardless of budget or other factors.

I see that you prefer to listen to primarily Indian classical and film music. You need to see what are the factors that characterise these genres and what to look for. I guess that you want voice to be clear, natural. And aspects as imaging, soundstage is important (also works well for movies). Transparency might not be your priority as the genres you specified might not have the best sound recording and production quality.

Take your time to understand the nuances of speaker specifications, sizes and design. And how they work with other components. It is very hard to get the right speaker at the first shot. If you do, you are very lucky.

By the initial list, I'm guessing that you have the budget to get a serious high-end speaker. There are quite a number of brands in that segment. You will be limited to the ones you can audition. You can reach out to other forum members and listen to their speakers.

It is good that you have narrowed down to speakers that could work well with your amplifier. This constraint should narrow down the list of speakers. I'd usually start with the speaker first as it defines the sound signature more than anything.
 
This topic is of interest to me as I'm also exploring speakers, albeit passively. More than a set of pointers, I would add some suggestions for your search.

Music is very personal and anyone else's opinion shouldn't be given weight. Everyone has their own preferences and limited exposure to audio systems. I'd rather suggest that you explore as many systems as you can find. Regardless of budget or other factors.

I see that you prefer to listen to primarily Indian classical and film music. You need to see what are the factors that characterise these genres and what to look for. I guess that you want voice to be clear, natural. And aspects as imaging, soundstage is important (also works well for movies). Transparency might not be your priority as the genres you specified might not have the best sound recording and production quality.

Take your time to understand the nuances of speaker specifications, sizes and design. And how they work with other components. It is very hard to get the right speaker at the first shot. If you do, you are very lucky.

By the initial list, I'm guessing that you have the budget to get a serious high-end speaker. There are quite a number of brands in that segment. You will be limited to the ones you can audition. You can reach out to other forum members and listen to their speakers.

It is good that you have narrowed down to speakers that could work well with your amplifier. This constraint should narrow down the list of speakers. I'd usually start with the speaker first as it defines the sound signature more than anything.

Thanks for this. Will keep these in mind. My original idea was to keep the concept 500 for a few years but saw that its not doing either the speaker or the Amp a Good Justice. Luckily I also went into headphones around the same time and have a pretty amazing combo there to keep me patient with the speaker
 
There is a good thread on Audiogon which you may also want to go through:


all the best.
 
Hi All,

I have octave V80 SE amplifer and am looking to test a few speakers over the next few months<assumption is that budget is good, though not the criteria>. Currently own qAcoustics concept 500.

Have been suggested:
1. Devore o96
2. ProAC K6 Signature
3. Avantgarde Uno XD

Listen to a lot of Film Music, Rahman and carnatic music. But would like it do a good job of Left and right channels of Hometheatre as well.

Are there some brands and lines for me to consider and audition?


My guess is this is unpalatable on several levels so is posted with great hesitation, but you seem both serious and committed to sound judging by the gear so here it is (or maybe it's useful for someone else).

My "blind answer" for such requirements is to consider some combination of speakers from Pi Speakers. They are decidedly not about appearance or anyone's "Fi" listing, but they would solve your "problem" given the upgraded parts and overall approach and it may still be economical enough to land them where you are. In about every typical "audiophile" way, they are decidedly not that--they're simply a solidly-engineered approach to putting sound in a room, and one I think capable of the subtlety/refinement that befits the "non-film" requirements as well. Efficiency wouldn't be a problem at 1/10th of the power you have.

There are several approaches you could take, based on your "life" requirements and preferences, so you'd have to investigate/choose. The question becomes how much bass you wish to have assigned to them. My presumption is that you may already have some LF/sub augmentation for film applications?

Fundamental to the "Pi" approach is that the mains basically don't have much bass--and thus are allowed to play cleaner than they otherwise would--and that the mains are directivity-matched. Implicit in this approach is a commitment to distributed subs, or at least a pair of flanking subs for the bottom of the bottom freqs.

If you have means of constructing your own cabinets, you may order kit parts at some savings and complete them yourself.

Should someone believe me to be a shill for them, my position has been one of vehemently chafing-against the approach by decreasing degree for at least 25 years. (Thought the man must be from Mars when I first saw his stuff). It's a solid approach, it just doesn't work for everyone's topology/dwelling needs. It's about the sound, not the looks, and that surely doesn't work for many.

If you don't need low-low-bass in the mains and only need two, something like the 4pi's with the JBL drivers and the DE250 will do the job well and let you hear more of everything your whole chain does. Maybe 1200USD(?) a side for a kit with the upgrades (40+% of which is the premium for the JBL midwoofer alone).

FWIW.
 
Thanks for the suggestions all.
I did a few auditions and went with ProAC K6 Signature. Will let people know my thoughts. But the thread opened my mind to a lot of possiblities and ideas for some long term learning and project's.
 
Happy to report back on
Octave V80Se with Super BlackBox and ProAC K6 signature combo.

Full stack:
Qobuz -> Roon -> HqPlayer -> Holo May Level 2 -> Synergistic Research XLR cables -> Octave V80 SE with SBB -> Oyaide Tunami V2 Speaker cables -> ProAC K6 Signature

Overall the sound has totally changes from my earlier listening to the new one. The need for subwoofer is gone and have moved to pure 2.0 channel stereo.

The earlier system would wow a person coming home and would turn heads. It was,stunningly detailed for a fraction of the cost. However the new system has unlocked a totally different way of looking at music: its utterly rhythmic and trust me that nothing I have ever heard had this level of rhythm reveal. Every drum, every snare reveals the timing of the song. Also, I find the presentation utterly cohesive with nothing standing out except a feeling of being around. Its nearly impossible to crtically listen to music and crtique as it totally consumes you in a field of positivity.

Net net, significantly better bass control, hugely rhythmatic, soft and pleasurable sound signature. What you will not like is total lack of abilty to stay critical on a track. Not a headturner, more a companion. Overall its a total revealation that music can suddenly become the healer it once was and not a hobby of chasing some thing next.

Lets see how long this lasts. Expect another 4 months for full burn in.

Also, expect to move to lumin P1/T3 as the holo needs to go back to the Headphone stack.
 
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