What's best in highly sensitive/efficient speakers.
- Thread starter AudioExplorations
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Box ones:
Living Voice OBX-RW (94dB/6 ohms)
Devore Fidelity Orangutan 0/96 (96dB/10 ohms)
Horning Eufrodite (98dB/8 ohms)
Horning Agalme (102dB/6.2 ohms)
Audio Note UK AN-E (98dB/6 ohms - though JA measured it at 92.5dB)
Horn ones:
Cessaro Chopin (97dB/6 ohms)
Cessaro Affascinate SE (100dB/8 ohms)
Gamma 1 (107dB/8 ohms)
Living Voice Vox Olympian
G.I.P. Lab 9700-A
G.I.P. Lab 7396 (Western Electric Mirrorphonic recreation)
Western Electric 15a
Western Electric 16a
Western Electric Mirrorphonic
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I had the Living Voice OBX-RW's. I actually preferred them higher-powered tube/Class A SS amps - lower powered SETs and tube PPamps didn't really bring them to life. I also preferred them without the external Kondo wire as it made the harmonics too splashy. It was actually these speakers that moved me away from my active ATCs and down the greater sensitivity/efficiency path.
Unfortunately, I've not heard any of the others, though I'd love to and may do so this year.
Bruce B
WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Depends what job you have
Job?? That's inheritance/trust fund territory!
That's my yearly salary!
One of the great high efficiency box speakers I've heard was the Daedalus Ulysses. I had the pleasure of having an extended audition at a customer's house and they are really natural sounding and very well priced. I would have ordered a pair if I weren't going down the custom horn route.
Kronzilla with 14" tubes - for the extremely large house in the winter that does not have a natural gas or LP system.
Best to you,
zz.
Depends what job you have
Isn't everything in life relative with our jobs (financial salary)? ...That is the most (highly) "efficient/sensitive" way to put it.
I should have said business then,its all relative .
Well if youre talking extremely good for almost chumpchange then i dont need to look far , but as i dont use expensive cables nobody takes me serious
Well if youre talking extremely good for almost chumpchange then i dont need to look far , but as i dont use expensive cables nobody takes me serious
I like Voxativ. I am not a horn fan. I have heard them in 4 different rooms, 3 different shows and they always sound wonderful.
I have heard quite a few high efficiency speakers. All of them have trade-offs which you may or may not find important, depending on your preference for sound.
- Large horn speakers (e.g. Avantgarde Duo, Trio, or Acapella): the most explosive dynamics and able to fill the room with sound. However, more often than not the horns do not integrate properly and imaging is very poor. Needs a large room and budget.
- Dual Concentric (e.g. Tannoy). I have heard quite a few of these, and nearly all of them have natural lifelike dynamics (horns can sound a little excessive), wonderful coherency, and superb imaging. The downside is the rosy coloration or a midrange thickness that makes everything sound rather 1950's. The other downside is that they should not be played too loud, otherwise you may damage the speaker.
- Full range single driver (e.g. Coral). I have not heard a single one of these speakers which I like - rolled off top and bottom, and they sound small and incapable of filling a room with sound (unless you have a small room).
- Boxed multi-driver (e.g. Zu and WLM). These tend to vary quite a lot and do not have a sonic signature which can be generalized to the whole class of speaker. I find most boxed speakers to be fairly boring in sound and it's difficult for me to get excited about these.
- Large horn speakers (e.g. Avantgarde Duo, Trio, or Acapella): the most explosive dynamics and able to fill the room with sound. However, more often than not the horns do not integrate properly and imaging is very poor. Needs a large room and budget.
- Dual Concentric (e.g. Tannoy). I have heard quite a few of these, and nearly all of them have natural lifelike dynamics (horns can sound a little excessive), wonderful coherency, and superb imaging. The downside is the rosy coloration or a midrange thickness that makes everything sound rather 1950's. The other downside is that they should not be played too loud, otherwise you may damage the speaker.
- Full range single driver (e.g. Coral). I have not heard a single one of these speakers which I like - rolled off top and bottom, and they sound small and incapable of filling a room with sound (unless you have a small room).
- Boxed multi-driver (e.g. Zu and WLM). These tend to vary quite a lot and do not have a sonic signature which can be generalized to the whole class of speaker. I find most boxed speakers to be fairly boring in sound and it's difficult for me to get excited about these.
My nomination would be Classic Audio Loudspeakers. The current generation models I've heard (T-1 and Hartsfield) simply sound like live music, smooth and relaxing to the point of being totally effortless, and with no distracting little colorations to ruin the illusion... such colorations being the downfall of many otherwise very promising high-efficiency systems. The Classic Audios are not just high efficiency, but also very tube-amp friendly (the two are not necessarily the same thing). I have no affiliation with Classic Audio Loudspeakers, aside from admiration for John Wolff's work.
http://classicaudioloudspeakers.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?fs=1&content=17&menu=15
There are a lot of factors involved ,you cant only base the choice on eff , ive heard 99db hornsystems improve considerably while going from 18 watt to 200 watt in terms of dynamics /control , if a speaker doesnt really change in those fields while going fom +- 8 watts to 300 watt then you got something
But as there is no [ CE ]industry approval /standard ,manufacturers can claim anything
But as there is no [ CE ]industry approval /standard ,manufacturers can claim anything
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Shindo Latours would be a fun audition. Ditto on Voxatv at Newport.
I run Zu Definitions at a much lower price point, but feel they are sublime and compete with 30k speakers. 101db, although require 25 watts imo.
I run Zu Definitions at a much lower price point, but feel they are sublime and compete with 30k speakers. 101db, although require 25 watts imo.
Let me second KeithR re Zu spkrs. Running a pair of Zu Definitions 4 on the end of 30W/ch Audion Black Shadow SETs. Totally sublime, effortless sound "all of a voice" with the FRDs and lack of crossover, dripping in tone, full bass extension and slam, and sublime treble. V. room friendly with full range of adjustments on built in active sub bass drivers.
Keith_W, consider giving Zu another chance, esp. the Def4s.
Keith_W, consider giving Zu another chance, esp. the Def4s.
Hello Keith
I agree and that's mostly due to the types of horns used and how they are arrayed. Typically they are set-up so the directivity of the individual horns gives you separate focus points for each bandwidth. Not a good idea and probably the primary reason for the less than stellar imaging.
You need to look at systems that use more modern horn types and that have a single focal point like a typical direct radiator system. Makes a big difference, these system can image with the best of them.
Rob
My Avantgarde Duos are about 103db efficient. I wouldn't claim they are the best, but I have had them for over 10 years (bought used for about 10 big ones), longer than any other speaker I have owned, and have always been happy coming back home even after being at Steve's place (when he lived in the Bay Area) hearing his big Wilsons or my consultant's Magico Q7's, Q5's, TAD CR1's etc. Not saying the AV's sound better, but satisfying for me. They are powered by my Cary 2A3 SE amps, 4 watts on an average day. The AV's cheat on power, with the bass unit having a self powered amp and the two horns driven by the external amps.
Larry
PS. My wife is very tolerant of my hifi obsession and not very observant to changes in my system. However, she did notice when the AV's came in to replace my Quad ESL63 US Monitors. She said, "Aren't these new?"
Larry
PS. My wife is very tolerant of my hifi obsession and not very observant to changes in my system. However, she did notice when the AV's came in to replace my Quad ESL63 US Monitors. She said, "Aren't these new?"
I was thinking of starting a thread on this exact topic and then I found this old one. Perhaps we can revive it.
(Note: I was looking at Duke's recommendation but I have to stay away from floor-firing woofers because I live in an apartment building)
(Note: I was looking at Duke's recommendation but I have to stay away from floor-firing woofers because I live in an apartment building)
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