KEF LS50 and the Lyric Ti60

My 20 year old Sony stereo has seen better days:  From the original set of CD, Tape, Radio, Amp, and Speakers only Amp, Radio, and Speakers still worked.  Somehow.  Female singers, however, started to strangely crack at high tones, and the potentiometer became rough and cracky, and there was just no stereo feeling any more.  Instead of repairing I decided for replacement.

I was looking for something which would last another 20 years or so and I wanted a tube amp.  I like simple things.  Reading some reviews I decided on the Lyric Ti60 which is an AB-type tube amp with EL34 power tubes.  The speakers were the question.  According to Hifi forums tube amps need very carefully selected speakers.  A German newspaper recommended standing speakers by Heco for it.  The Hecos were very sensitive and so the small Lyric Ti60 (with about 40W output) would be able to drive them.

On the other hand the internets and the audio press was very fond of the new KEF LS50 speakers which would fit nicely into my bookshelf and in my budget.  Internets also claimed these speakers need big amps, +90W, to be driven properly.  I was unsure if amp and speakers would play together.

I'm not a Hifi forum person, just someone with normal ears and a 20 year old half-broken Sony system for direct comparison.  Still, the combination between KEF LS50 and Lyric Ti60 works very well for me.  In my small (12m^2) listening room I only need about 30% of the max volume.  The amp seems plenty strong enough.  The bass I have to dampen (the speakers come foam to make the bass a little weaker when they are placed close to a wall), otherwise it's too pronounced.  The sound is clear and stereophonic, a good recording sounds like the music stands in the middle of the room.  Beautiful.

The only special thing I had to do was to adjust the bias of the Lyric tubes after arrival.  This is easily don't without opening the amp.  If you are contemplating a similar setup, don't be afraid.