Highly efficient speakers???

madmax
madmax Posts: 12,434
edited December 2004 in Speakers
Lets say I have a small amp with 3-4 watts and want it to play loudly with a VERY good audiophile quality. What are my speaker options?

madmax
Vinyl, the final frontier...

Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
Post edited by madmax on
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited December 2004
    Klipsch comes to mind...if you like the sound...I don't know if they're THAT efficient though...
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  • jcaut
    jcaut Posts: 1,849
    edited December 2004
    Full-rangers. No power-soaking crossover bits.

    I don't have specifics, though. That was just my first thought when I saw the question.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,963
    edited December 2004
    Any of the Klipsch "Heritage" speakers (Heresys, Cornwalls, LaScalas, Belle Klipsches, Klipschorns) are ideal for that application. I use 1974 Cornwalls with my 2A3 SE triode amps (3.5 watts per channel).

    Classic JBL and Altecs (e.g., VOT's) fill the bill quite nicely. I have a pair of Altec 604B coaxes awaiting a pair of proper boxes to put them in! Also some of the classic EV (ElectroVoice) drivers and enclosures (e.g., SP12, SP12B, 12TRX, 12TRXB, LS12, LT12 drivers; Aristocrat enclosures). The EV Esquire 3-ways are also pretty nice (I have a pair I got quite cheap).

    Full range drivers can also be great. See www.fullrangedriver.com for much, much more information if you're interested in full-range drivers. The most efficient (but also IMO most idiosyncratic) of the lot are the Lowthers (www.http://www.lowther-america.com/)... something like 104 dB/watt at 1 m.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,775
    edited December 2004
    Klipsch Chorus

    102db eff....

    etc etc
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited December 2004
    mhardy,
    I was looking at the site. They have Fostex, Louther and PAudio drivers and boxes. I am intrigued to say the least. What did you mean by "idiosyncratic" with the Lowthers? I have been interested in a single full range driver for some time. In the scheme of things how would any of these compare with the way SDA's sound? Bigger? Smaller? What would I expect out of them. It sounds like you are pretty into it.
    Thanks!
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited December 2004
    I think this is what I want. What do you guys think?

    http://decware.com/HDT/hdt.htm

    It looks like for around $500 I can build them.

    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,083
    edited December 2004
    I, personally, haven't heard them but Lowther is a brand that the SET crowd seems to drool over.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited December 2004
    http://www.omegaloudspeakers.com/

    http://www.pispeakers.com/

    http://www.thehornshoppe.com/

    http://www.zucable.com/

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Whadyasay
    Whadyasay Posts: 300
    edited December 2004
    Those dual-driver Hornshoppe models are worth getting for their grilles alone!
    Polk LSi9 Mains, Polk LSIC Center, Polk RT25i Surrounds, Polk M3II Rear Surround, SVS PB10-ISD Sub, Denon AVR 2809 (as digital pre/pro only), Sony BDP-S350, Oppo DV-981HD, Cambridge Audio Azur 540C (CD), Marantz MM9000 5-ch amp, Outlaw ICBM, Panasonic th-42PX85u HDTV, Behringer BFD Pro, Monster Power HTS 2600 Conditioner
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,963
    edited December 2004
    Most would agree that Lowthers require bass reinforcement in the form of a back-loaded horn, and some enclosures actually include both front and back loaded horns to provide acoustic equalization. Otherwise, they're way not flat. I find them overly aggressive with most highly-produced/multitrack "pop" recordings... and mind you, I use Cornwalls as my main high-efficiency speakers :-)

    The Fostex FE166/167/206/207 drivers are very nice. The FE207E will provide (IMO) very nice fullrange performance in a simple bass reflex enclosure. These are also way cheaper than even the 'cheap' Lowthers.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited December 2004
    Agreed, I've heard a lot of Lowther and Fostex side by side, and the Lowther just isn't worth the money.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited December 2004
    Originally posted by Vr3MxStyler2k3
    Klipsch Chorus

    102db eff....

    etc etc

    the Klipsch Chorus have pretty large woofers in em..

    I think a 15" woofer and same size passive radiator.. if my memory serves me right. :(

    so it may take more then 3 or 4 watts to power those babies.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • chenj16
    chenj16 Posts: 148
    edited December 2004
    Originally posted by Whadyasay
    Those dual-driver Hornshoppe models are worth getting for their grilles alone!

    :D:D:D
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