[BEAR]

wrote:
As a newbie, I decided to try a tube amplifier. So I obtained Antique
Sound Labs Wave AV-8 monoblocks (8 wpc push-pull) and hooked them up
to my Klipsch Synergy F-2 (95.5 dB sensitivity; 8 ohm impedance)
speakers. After just a couple of hours I had a vicious headache and
burning/ringing in my ears.

I wasn't playing loud at all - just normal listening levels. I
couldn't have been anywhere near max output of amp.

I've never experienced this before with my SS integrated amp. It's
rated at 27 wpc and it's described as a "BTL (Bridge-Tied Load)-
connected SEPP (Single Ended Push Pull) circuit."

Anyone know what could have caused this and how to fix?

Maybe my ears don't like push-pull tube amps? Would a SET be better?

The top choice is a parasitic oscillation in the amp.
A scope is required to find out if that is happening.

Most Klipsh products will sound way better on a tube amp than solid state.

You might be clipping the **** out of the amp.
Don't believe the manufacturers spec on efficiency.
So, play it much much lower and see if that helps.

Also, clipping the amp may introduce a parasitic - saw that about a month ago on
a nice old British guitar amp. Would take ur ears off.

An ST-70 Dynaco is a good place to start with tube gear.
A few mods puts it in good shape to compete with better tube gear.

The next step is to learn about how to build your own tube gear.
Or solid state gear, if that floats ur boat boys! :_)

IF the Klipsh will biamp, put the tube amp on the tweeters, and the
other amp on the bottom end and see how that flys?

Oh, your 27 watt unit is simply a cap coupled output using single polarity
transistors, as done in days of yore, but set up to run as a "bridged" amp
internally. What that means in practice is that there are two identical amps,
out of phase with each other and each one tied to one side of the speaker
(load). Don't try to connect either output terminal to the chassis ground, that
will blow up the amp. :_) That makes the amp push-pull.

So, that also makes the ouput *voltage* twice what a single amp will create, off
the same supply voltage - the swing is now doubled in to the load, so the power
is increased by 4x. In other words that's a pair of about 7 watt amps in bridged
mode, making ~27 watts... :_)

Btw, most all modern commercial speakers require much more power to play at
"realistic" levels. There are some pro speakers with high sensitivity and some
"vintage speakers" (Altec 604s for example) that actually have reasonably high
sensitivity, but even those need more than 7 watts to drive in practice.

_-_-bear