What's best in highly sensitive/efficient speakers.

[caesar]

There is a pair of Odeon La Boheme for sale on Audiomarkt.de that will give you amazing sound...far better than I have heard from Zu or Voxativ. They are nearly 20 years old now but are about 98db and revealing but oh so smooth in the highs. Coherence is single driver level without the drawbacks. Serious punch and drive. The one "but" is the last octave of bass is not so strong.

This is what I run and I frequently get the "oh wow" from even experienced listeners with nice systems. Non-audiophiles are simply shocked by the realism they are capable of producing.

Hi Morricab,
What are the drawbacks single driver designs?

Thanks

 

[morricab]

Hi Morricab,
What are the drawbacks single driver designs?

Thanks

Well, you have probably heard most of them already: lack of deep bass (or any bass at all in some cases), can be shouty because of elevated and usually somewhat ragged frequency response, tonally thin and/or skewed timbre (because of the combination of the two things above), can get a bit confused sounding with complex music (more expensive drivers seem to be less susceptible to this from what I have heard.

For conventional box speaker guys, most, if not all the flaws result in a sound that deviates too far from "neutral" for their tastes. What they fail to realize is that their speakers are just as flawed in the time/dynamics domain in the pursuit of getting the frequency domain correct. Very few speakers do a reasonable job in both domains. I think this is a main reason for the polarity in speaker preferences.

The HDTs I have are quite livable with these flaws audible but not terrible. The tendency to shout is less than I have heard from most (only the expensive Voxativ models are maybe better) and due to a very complex cabinet tuning there is usable bass to around 40hz with a full mid-bass so they don't sound (too) thin. I use them primarily as late night, low volume speakers, where they have superb resolution and musical qualities at levels that I think a lot of the WBFers would consider a whisper. Turn them up to rockin levels and they can start to pierce though.

I have owned one full-range, single driver speaker that was really truly great and that was a full-range electrostatic speaker. It had multiple flat panels but they all operated over the same full-range and that speaker covered <30Hz to 20Khz in a very smooth even FR and was also time correct...only large macro dynamics tripped it up a bit. The sensitivity also wasn't the greatest but its ability to resolve microdynamics made playing loud unnecessary.

It took me a long time to find a domestic friendly sized speaker that captured most of what those big electrostats have but also has big dynamic wallop. Of course my wife thinks it is still too big . From what I heard years ago from a Horning, I think they could also be something that would really work well in a still doemestic friendly sized speaker.

 

[kantx]

Hi Morricab,
What are the drawbacks single driver designs?

Thanks

And what about the larger Odeon, like the Elektra S or the 28/2 ?

 

[bonzo75]

And what about the larger Odeon, like the Elektra S or the 28/2 ?

The universums are much better than the Odeon unless you are referring to the 130k one that was played in Munich that was excellent there

 

[marslo]

The universums are much better than the Odeon unless you are referring to the 130k one that was played in Munich that was excellent

As I am coming from « planned economy » the plan is everything to me
Universum IIII with Cubes are scheduled for mid March 2019 for auditioning.
For time being I listen to Cubes in two of my setups

 

[morricab]

And what about the larger Odeon, like the Elektra S or the 28/2 ?

I have a soft spot for bigger Odeons as I own an old pair of La Bohemes that do some amazing things. I also like the Dynamikks speakers quite a lot. Universums are also superb but excel at different things than Odeons or Dynamikks.

 

[kantx]

I have a soft spot for bigger Odeons as I own an old pair of La Bohemes that do some amazing things. I also like the Dynamikks speakers quite a lot. Universums are also superb but excel at different things than Odeons or Dynamikks.

My main goal in a word : Mahler.

 

[bonzo75]

My main goal in a word : Mahler.

Mahler has many soft passages exploding only fi for brief moments, unlike say Beethoven 9 which is mostly in tutti. Also what analog do you have, or are you more digital?

 

[kantx]

I'm both.
Analog is Versalex+Koetsu+Perreaux.

 

[christoph]

And what about the larger Odeon, like the Elektra S or the 28/2 ?

I also own the Odeon 38/2

 

[kantx]

I also own the Odeon 38/2

And ?

 

[morricab]

My main goal in a word : Mahler.

So, low level resolution coupled with ability to cope with large crescendos and stay unstressed sounding. Dynamikks 12.18 or 10.15, Odeon 38, AG Duo XD or Mezzo, Universum, Tune Audio Anina or Acapella Basso Nobile would all be potentially good choices.

 

[christoph]

And ?

 

[kantx]

Knowledgeable friends repeatedly warned me against AG or Acapella harshness.

 

[kantx]

View attachment 46721

These are gorgeous, but are not the Odeon…

 

[morricab]

Knowledgeable friends repeatedly warned me against AG or Acapella harshness.

Unless the amp is very pure in the highs AG can sound a bit harsh and forward. I have not heard such issues with Acapella.

 

[kantx]

The bass horn firing towards the ground and the 2 other to the front are giving coherence ?

 

[kantx]

Unless the amp is very pure in the highs AG can sound a bit harsh and forward. I have not heard such issues with Acapella.

https://6moons.com/audioreviews/acapella/lacampanella_2.html

 

[microstrip]

Unless the amp is very pure in the highs AG can sound a bit harsh and forward. I have not heard such issues with Acapella.

Can you give us a few examples of amplifiers that are very pure in the highs?

 

[kantx]

Can you give us a few examples of amplifiers that are very pure in the highs?

Zanden.