Center Channel Speaker: How Best to Drive It?

Please help me find my way out of this conundrum:

I want to drive a ~ 90db SPL/w/m center channel speaker either of four ways:

1.)    A ~ 10 watt mono tube amp. Budget ~ $2.7K

From the DAC output feeding a LOW power tube amp. Driving the center speaker even with any of these lesser 300B SET mono blocks?

https://www.google.com/search?q=300b+mono+set+amplifier+between+$1,000+and+$3,500&udm=28&shoprs=CAESFhIUCQAAAABlzc1BEQAAAGC4E-pBGAEYBSoXMzAwYiBtb25vIHNldCBhbXBsaWZpZXIyMQgFEg8kMSwwMDAgLSAkMyw1MDAYAiIWEhQJAAAAAGXNzUERAAAAYLgT6kEYASoCGAFYprMgYAI&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj569e1l7mHAxVpEVkFHSYsCDkQ268JKAJ6BAgQEB8&biw=1066&bih=438&dpr=1.2

2.)   The other idea was a 45 tube amp, which I’ve heard can rival the sound of 300B SETs, but I can’t find any around.

Any suggested 45 mono amp under $2.5K? But do they run much hotter and/or have higher power draw than a cheap 300B mono block?

3.)   My stock First Watt F4 amp in balanced mono mode. https://www.firstwatt.com/product/f4/

https://www.firstwatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/prod_f4_man.pdf

As the F4 as a mono block does 100 watts, my room's only ~ 2800 cu ft and I'd be only 13 ft away how much input signal voltage could the F4 really need, even to sound it's best under these conditions? That's why I wanted to know if someone has ever put a balanced passive line stage between the F4 and a balanced output source-like a multichannel DAC, which will have a ~ 4.6V output.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e15d4fba20f9d0f914ce7aa/t/5ecbdb96fd31365e4fd5daf5/1590418329103/convert-8-chop-shop.pdf

 Or this DAC card for the Merging Hapi DAC offering much higher output voltage?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1806156-REG/merging_technologies_700341_da8_output_card_up.html

Would there any loss in sound quality using a passive line stage like these, assuming their balanced stereo passive outputs could be bridged to feed the F4 in balanced mono mode?  https://khozmo.com/product-category/preamplifiers/

4.)   However, as many F4 users have said, as it’s quite the chameleon and will essentially sound much like whatever’s feeding it. Thus, the F4 in balanced mono mode fed from a fully balanced tube line stage? Budget ~ $2500. I would think this last option might be best as I would just need the best sounding tube line stage I can afford. But which for awesome sound stage size, spot on imaging, holographic mids and airy highs?

 Going kind of nuts with this. Please share ideas.

I can only comment on what I have experience with. I drive my center channel with a Mytek Brooklyn Amp+. I feed the amp with the Merging DA8P card, and love the combo. 

I removed the center speaker completely and now have the highest and cleanest dialogues to date with my system. I have a near perfect phantom center with my fronts.

On 7/22/2024 at 10:24 AM, serko70 said:

I removed the center speaker completely and now have the highest and cleanest dialogues to date with my system. I have a near perfect phantom center with my fronts.

 Curious about your fronts. Are they large open baffles-or perhaps more likely large three way or two way horns? That might explain why your phantom is large, especially for movie dialogue, and also on axis with your ears.

On 7/21/2024 at 9:31 PM, The Computer Audiophile said:

I can only comment on what I have experience with. I drive my center channel with a Mytek Brooklyn Amp+. I feed the amp with the Merging DA8P card, and love the combo. 

Thanks; at least I've finally narrowed my DAC choice down to between that card in the Hapi chassis and the Dangerous Music Convert-8.

10 hours ago, nxrm said:

 Curious about your fronts. Are they large open baffles-or perhaps more likely large three way or two way horns? That might explain why your phantom is large, especially for movie dialogue, and also on axis with your ears.

They are symetrically and carefully placed 3-way floor standers.

Lots of room/speaker/sub correcting info. Will definitely spend time there.