Quote:
Originally Posted by Bombadil
I've never found a 95db+ efficient speaker, for less than $20K, which I like. I like great imaging and definition. The higher efficiency speakers I've heard are too forward through the midrange or roll off lows or roll off highs or just don't produce the detailed soundstage that I love. Not sure I've seen any of the vintage or low-to-mid priced high efficiency speakers do much about time alignment, edge diffraction, and some (open baffle) produce a lot of sound off of the back which reflects off your walls and destroys imaging. I find most of them to be fatiguing.
I have heard some high-end speakers which sound fantastic and which are efficient. Like a pair of $60K Von Schweikerts which were 95dB. Some of the Focal Utopia series are up around 94-95dB. Magico Q7 around 94dB. There are others.
|
Good to know. This just encourages me to keep working with my own DIY designs. As you noted, I too am not a big fan of the squawky midrange that some of the lower cost higher efficiency speakers produce.
Been playing the little Totem Model 1s speakers all day on the DH KT150 amp. As long as you are sitting in front of the speakers with a little volume, they sound great at their reported 87db. The sound stage tends to stay more between the two speakers an goes pretty far back on these with this tube amp. When I power them with the larger amps, sound stage goes further to the right and left of each speaker. My larger custom speakers are around 91.5-92db And they do sound different in just the total volume of output and sound stage is wider and a bit more forward, but not in your face.
I may see if I can just demo/borrow and test ome other speakers in the 92-93b sensitivity range and see what changes. Did not plan on using my larger custom speakers with the little DH amp permanently, but it does sound better.