Efficient Speakers For a Set Amp
This could be an interesting topic. Looking for ideas for efficient speakers to use with a 5-10watt rms SET amp. What would you use and why?
Comments
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Price point will matter, but the Omega speakers are nice for these types of applications.
Let's say under $5000 -
http://www.decware.com/newsite/Caintuck.html
http://www.decware.com/newsite/Omega1.html
http://www.decware.com/newsite/HR1.html
http://www.decware.com/newsite/HORN.html
A few models I would recommend that sound great. My favorite being the HR1s and don't dismiss the Caintuck ones. They have no right to sound so good for their price point.Polk S10, S8, S4
Polk RT8
Polk Monitor 7s
Working on getting SDAs -
Zu AudioAudio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
So, so, so many options. Modern or vintage? Single driver, coax or "traditional" two (or more) way? Direct radiator or horns (or a mixture of the two)?
I mean, I can tell you what I like, but... I'm not you (the OP, that is).
5 to 10 watts is a pretty powerful SET amp (300B, e.g., is about 8 watts), so the OP will be less constrained than some of us.
I will say two more things.
1) I like (vintage) Altec but my own Altecs (604E Duplexes, with Mastering Labs crossovers) have mutated considerably in the past year or two. Maybe not forever, but I haven't yet been tempted to revert to the original configuration.
DSC_9984 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
2) The OP may wish to take a look at this subforum and posts therein at www.hifihaven.org
http://www.hifihaven.org/index.php?forums/high-efficiency.21/
(even though the discussion topics are, generally, high sensitivity loudspeakers and enclosure designs -- which may or may not use highly efficient drivers.
)
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Good input. The Decware options are very interesting. In regards to vintage or modern and horn, single driver etc, I really don't know. I have no experience in this realm. My experience has been full range speakers that generally like some power. That is where I am at now. As I look ahead I am thinking about downsizing and am really thinking about the SET angle. So, that said I am open to an education etc.
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This thread deserves a bump.
To me (FWIW, and not that anyone asked! ), the aggravating thing about Decware is -- his stuff does sound pretty good, but you have to put up with Steve Deckert's hyperbolic, purple (and syntactically more or less butchered) prose prose to get to it. His sycophants (heh, my second use of the word in 30 minutes!) are even worse. 
But, yeah, truth be told, his stuff isn't bad (although it's gotten kind of expensive over the decades) -- I do still have the SE-84B amp that got me started with fleapower/high sensitivity (with a pair of Cornwalls).
DSC_0335 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr -
Zu Audio
I'm actually waiting for the email from Zu that Omen Dirty Weekends are back in production.
I've got an EL34 based amp that I think will match quite well with them.
And yes Mark, I know those toobs aren't your preference :-)
We all have to start somewhere. -
As I say, nothing against the products, just the marketing.
The SE-84B sounds good and is extremely quiet (quiet-est SE amplifier here). Having indirectly heated filaments (EL84 outputs, wired triode) helps, but it is reall quiet. It is also very low powered... but it would make a dandy treble amp in a bi- or triamped system (ideally with active XOs).
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When they tell you they're back in stock they mean they have a few of the hickory, only. I ordered the sangria only to be emailed they would be ready in 8 weeks. Finally cancelled my order. I will say they were extremely polite and cordial about it. -
Appreciate the input. So, the reason I asked for input about efficient speakers is that I am thinking about changing directions with my 2 channel setup. Thinking that my wonderful, tolerant wife and I will be downsizing in the next few years and I will have to part with some of my horde. Big speakers (SDA 1C, DCM Time Windows, RTA 12B, Monitor 10's, 7B's etc), amps and pre amps (Rogue Cronus Magnum, Adcom 555, Eastern Electric Mini Max pre, Fisher X100 tube integrated etc, etc).I have systems set up in 4 different places in the house. Keep in mind that the room setups are not ideal, but I need to move some equipment along. And as I have journeyed down this audio rabbit hole I still want to experience and listen to mo stuff. Enter the SET amp and some efficient speakers. I want to hear the "first watt" magic, be able to have the setup in a smallish space and not miss the big, full, crisp sound I have been accustomed to. I know Klipsch are known to be extremely efficient but are they fatiguing to folks that have experience with them? That is another piece to the equation......don't want fatiguing. Sigh. Am I asking for too much?? Oh, and no fighting or you will be put on "timeout". Would give you a good a$$ whipping for misbehaving but that is not politicly correct anymore nor allowed.
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Appreciate the input. So, the reason I asked for input about efficient speakers is that I am thinking about changing directions with my 2 channel setup....
Sigh. Am I asking for too much??
Sort of thanks to Hoffman's Iron Law.
Small Size
High Sensitivity
Bass Extension
pick two.
Where do you live (regionally), again? I have all sorts of things you can try before you buy. Even some stuff that's not five-ish decades old.
Even the small stuff may not be cost-effective to ship cross-country (and back) though.
I'd suggest Fostex but they are an acquired taste. My FE207E in bass reflex cabinets are currently out on loan to a friend. His comments reflect the dilemma with many of Fostex high-ish sensitivity drivers:... I like the Fostex boxes but there seemed to be something missing in the upper end of the bass region or lower midrange (I'm guessing as I didn't try to measure anything - I don't have the equipment). There was a fullness there that I was missing. The "female vocal" range is quite good, though a tad shouty (but I think that may only be and artifact of what I was missing a little below that range).
I did note that I was surprised how much bass there was. I don't think of fullrange single driver speakers as being very full in the low end. Yet they were decent in that regard.
Fostex does have some almost turnkey solutions that aren't crazy big -- but they're also not everyone's cup of chai -- and they're not super-high sensitivity (although they do "OK" to "well" with, e.g., SE 2A3 amplification IMO/IME).
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/full-range-speaker-kits/fostex-bk-12m-folded-horn-kit-pair/
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/full-range-speaker-kits/fostex-bk-16-folded-horn-kit-pair/
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/full-range-speaker-kits/fostex-bk-20-folded-horn-kit-pair/
There are also these... they were all the rage 15 or 20 years ago in certain circles (and they were inexpensive, then, too). I've never heard them, though (i.e., these drivers and enclosures).
http://www.thehornshoppe.com/
PS I am right there with you when it comes to nonfatiguing -- and there are lots of expensive and desirable loudspeakers I simply can't stand listening to for more than a few minutes as a consequence.
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Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Thanks for the input mhardy and halo. I will do some more reading and check out the links. I live in the Chicago area mhardy.
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Do you already have the SET amp? Reason I ask is there are SET amps that offer considerably more that flea power. Perhaps a bit more on the amp and speakers become less of a issue.
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When they tell you they're back in stock they mean they have a few of the hickory, only. I ordered the sangria only to be emailed they would be ready in 8 weeks. Finally cancelled my order. I will say they were extremely polite and cordial about it.
Duly noted.
Thanks for the info. We shall see. -
Thanks for the input mhardy and halo. I will do some more reading and check out the links. I live in the Chicago area mhardy.
I currently do not have a SET amp. Just beginning to research and learn. -
Haven't heard a horn based speaker that wasn't fatiguing to some degree. If your sensitive to that, then stay away from them. Some do better than others at it, but it's still there. To my ears anyway.
Also consider the type of music you like to listen to, and the volume you like to listen at.
Personally, I think with the flea amp idea, and possibly a horn type speaker, or any other speaker with sensitivity high enough to match a flea powered amp, your going to have to make some trade offs.
Me....I like a speaker/amp combo that I can throw anything at, play at any volume I like, and still puts a smile on my face while listening for hours on end with no fatigue. In this audio thing, everything comes with some sort of trade off, limitations. I prefer to reduce that as much as possible. That's just me though, you rock it as you see fit.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Haven't heard a horn based speaker that wasn't fatiguing to some degree. If your sensitive to that, then stay away from them. Some do better than others at it, but it's still there. To my ears anyway.
Also consider the type of music you like to listen to, and the volume you like to listen at.
Personally, I think with the flea amp idea, and possibly a horn type speaker, or any other speaker with sensitivity high enough to match a flea powered amp, your going to have to make some trade offs.
Me....I like a speaker/amp combo that I can throw anything at, play at any volume I like, and still puts a smile on my face while listening for hours on end with no fatigue. In this audio thing, everything comes with some sort of trade off, limitations. I prefer to reduce that as much as possible. That's just me though, you rock it as you see fit.
IMO -- you simply haven't heard the right horns, ol' son. Or you've heard the right horns with wrong electronics.
I am very (very) sensitive to ear-gouging loudspeakers -- which is my dig
against many modern loudspeakers (fwiw). All that detail is like ice picks into my ears.
That's why there aren't any products (vintage or modern) branded Klipsch in the house, too, by the way
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If you want to hear what a SET setups sound like and different speakers you are only 2.5 hours away from Decware. They are located in East Peoria, IL. Give them a call and setup a listening session. This will be the best way to see if you like the sound and also will give you a reference if you hear other setups.Polk S10, S8, S4
Polk RT8
Polk Monitor 7s
Working on getting SDAs -
deucekazoo wrote: »
If you want to hear what a SET setups sound like and different speakers you are only 2.5 hours away from Decware. They are located in East Peoria, IL. Give them a call and setup a listening session. This will be the best way to see if you like the sound and also will give you a reference if you hear other setups.
Not a bad idea actually. I do not like Deckert's silly, hyperbolic, agrammatical marketing style, but the stuff he's made does generally sound pretty good.
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That is a good idea. I will have to look into checking out Decware. Been looking at different speakers; the Madison Sound kits with the Fostex drivers, Acuhorn, and Fibhorn.
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@Faustin - https://usaudiomart.com/details/649366672-cain-and-cain-abby-nearfield9-in-series/
no affil.Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Abbys are indeed well worth a listen (IMO, and FWIW) - they're a little too midrange-aggressive for my tastes (again, FWIW). They got that lean, midrange-forward Fostex thing goin' on.
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That is a good idea. I will have to look into checking out Decware. Been looking at different speakers; the Madison Sound kits with the Fostex drivers, Acuhorn, and Fibhorn.
You might know about this site but just in case you don't here is a forum to check out.
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/
Also if you feel like making your own
https://www.planet10-hifi.com/
they have a box plan library for most of the full range drivers and also they sell flat packs.Polk S10, S8, S4
Polk RT8
Polk Monitor 7s
Working on getting SDAs -
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
The price is right for those Omen Dirty Weekends.
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You Rat Bastige.
I just got my credit card paid off. -
$6k for the Druid V’s. Wtf
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Seems like most of those prices are the prices you can buy them for just about any time. The Dirty Weekend at $999 is for the hickory model only. All others add at least $300 or more. Only ones in stock are hickory, all others are special order.
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Seems like most of those prices are the prices you can buy them for just about any time. The Dirty Weekend at $999 is for the hickory model only. All others add at least $300 or more. Only ones in stock are hickory, all others are special order.
Is that a problem?
(or, to put it another way, I don't see a problem with that)
From my perspective, it's like saying, hey, this Lamborghini is only $75,000, but you can only get them in iridescent purple.
PS I would apply the same logic to buying clothes, too -- which is why I don't share many photos of myself...
