[Freo-1]

Let's hear your inputs for the best high efficiency speakers for low wattage applications?  Pictures are most welcome!

[Blackmore]

I've heard the Volti Rivals twice at AXPONA driven by BorderPatrol amps and DAC.  Always a fun time listening to them.

[FullRangeMan]

Today my fave are this big cone that was out of the line and came back:
https://www.commonsenseaudio.com/an15cfspecs.jpg
99dB and 50Wrms must delivery some performance.

[S Clark]

It's not as easy to say a speaker is efficient or inefficient as it used to be.  For example, most of the GR-Research speakers now include open baffle servo bass modules, but the planar magnetic sections and smaller mid woofer sections may run easily on 10W and down.  So would you say these require 200W or 8W?

[planet10]

Given that when people are talking about low wattage systems they are saying they want to use an SE tube amp.

Here the highish output impedance of the amplifier means a fairly flat impedance curve in the loudspeaker, or a FR and impedance that work to stretch the extention at both ends.

Efficiency itself is not as important as some may think, but flat impedance is important (and a bass alignment that takes the high output impeance into consideration).

So the question becomes: What is your low wattage amplifier?

dave

[planet10]

Volti Rivals

Ugly impedance curve:



Ugly FR:



But it looks like with a hign output impedance the big bump in the impedance at XO is compensated by a big shallow in the FR (as measured with a low output impednce amp). But it probably won’t fill in the whole dip. No aid in the top, but some extension at the bottom may happen — but only if the speaker is designed for a high output impedance amplifier.

[dflee]

I haven't heard a whole lot but the Forte III is one I would drool over.

[FullRangeMan]

I suppose flat impedance requirement apply only to speakers with xover, FR drivers already have a flat impedance.

[Tyson]

I haven't heard a whole lot but the Forte III is one I would drool over.

I have those in my 2nd system, on the main floor.  They are pretty awesome, and a clear step up over the prior iterations (which were all too rough/bright). I like the Forte 3 even better than the new Cornwall 4 I heard at RMAF. 

They are also very easy to get to sound good with SET amps.  I rotate between an 18 watt Almarro A318B, an 8 watt Japanese Elekit 300b and a 2 watt TAL Korneff Type 45 amp.  All of them sound great and all of them can rock out with plenty of bass and also do finesse with jazz or classical.

They aren’t as refined and don’t image as well as other audiophile speakers, if you want that, look at GR Research or Spatial Audio for really good open battle designs that are often very SET friendly.

[AJinFLA]

for really good open battle designs

Or if they don't have enough space, they could try the opposite, a closed conflict design.

[Freo-1]

What are opinions regarding Klipschorns?  It's been MANY years since I've listened to them, but I do remember that they were one of very few speakers that sounded like the music was live when standing in an adjacent room.   

[Yomaha]

What about Devore 0/96's?  I keep reading stunning reviews of them.  Of course, that doesn't make them great, but I have yet to see much criticism of them.

[Tyson]

Or if they don't have enough space, they could try the opposite, a closed conflict design.

Stupid autocorrect, lol.

[JLM]

I gave up on SET's 15 years ago, couldn't find high efficiency speakers that weren't colored and/or lacked reasonable bass response.

The best solution is a 4-5 inch driver with a subwoofer (or 4) added.

[Tyson]

I gave up on SET's 15 years ago, couldn't find high efficiency speakers that weren't colored and/or lacked reasonable bass response.

The best solution is a 4-5 inch driver with a subwoofer (or 4) added.

I'd have agreed with you 5 (and especially 10) years ago.  But things have changed.  The Forte 3s are a bit of a game changer, as are the speakers with powered bass sections and high efficiency midrange/high sections, like GR Research and Spatial Audio make.  SETs definitely require careful speaker matching, but once you achieve that, it's totally worth the time/effort/money.

[ZENTISH]

 Hi,    I have the SONIST -"CONCERTO 4's" that are powered with a 5 watt amp. They reach down to 27 hz and the spl rating is 97db. I've also owned their little brother the stand mounted CONCERTO 2, both speakers sounded pretty much the same with the 4's having more and lower bass and the ability to fill a larger room with sound.


TISH

[rollo]

  Omega, Spatial, Rethm. A good place to start. 

charles

[FullRangeMan]

I gave up on SET's 15 years ago, couldn't find high efficiency speakers that weren't colored and/or lacked reasonable bass response.

The best solution is a 4-5 inch driver with a subwoofer (or 4) added.

With FR speakers you are using drivers where it is no longer possible to improve them or it is difficult to improve them currently, to get an idea of the situation the color of the cones influences the sound of the speakers, most cones are black, few are white, some dont use dyes and have that beige/light yellow color.

This grade of precision you want is possible only with some expensive headphones.

[Rusty Jefferson]

Agree about the Sonist Concerto 4. Very good speakers for low power SET. They were out of business for a while but appear to be back. Reasonably priced too.

http://sonistaudio.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=48

[planet10]

I suppose flat impedance requirement apply only to speakers with xover, FR drivers already have a flat impedance.

That is typically the case, but they do have a tendency to rise at the bass resonance, and if no copper sleeve, at the HF. These rises in impedance used with a high output impedance amplifier can be used to extend the FR.

dave