In search of speakers that are more efficient

[AudioDoctor]

I am in the middle of assembling a new system here for myself, and am strongly considering SET amplification, or no more than 40-45 watts of 211 tube power. I am not sure yet...

 

Anyway, I am not up to date on the realm of more efficient speakers, my current pair are Sonus Faber Olympica 1s with a 4 ohm / 87db rating, not exactly efficient.

 

So, where do I need to be looking and listening?

 

Thanks.

 

edit: If it matters, the room is 15.5 x 14 feet with a flat ceiling and will be treated.

[ericuco]

Price range?

[AudioDoctor]

Under 50k, the fewer dollars the better...

[ericuco]

Volti Audio speakers are over 100 dB/W, basically high end Klipsch, starting around $9k.

[ARQuint]

There's a new limited edition version of the Volti Rival (the Rival SE) that I heard a few weeks ago at the Florida Audio Expo. $19,900 in a gorgeous bubinga wood finish. Sounded great with jazz and classical (20 minute audition). See my show report on the TAS website for a brief impression and photo.

 

Good luck!

Andy Quint

[Rexp]

I used to sell high efficiency speakers and SET amps back in the 90's as an antidote to sterile digital sources. In the end i switched to less efficient speakers that imaged well like ATC, B&W and Harbeth. Although I did hear B&W 802 sound great with a SET once with chamber music, not rock though. 

[Norton]

Klipsch Forte3 or Heresy?

 

I’ve had Cornwalls for 5 years now and love them.  Plus you’ll have a lot of change from $50k...

[One and a half]

SET preamplifier with active speakers, KEF LS family or Kii......? Goes plenty loud.

[kennyb123]

4 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

Under 50k, the fewer dollars the better...

These are amazing at just below your price point:  https://voxativ.berlin/987

 

 

[4est]

8 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

I am in the middle of assembling a new system here for myself, and am strongly considering SET amplification, or no more than 40-45 watts of 211 tube power. I am not sure yet...

 

Anyway, I am not up to date on the realm of more efficient speakers, my current pair are Sonus Faber Olympica 1s with a 4 ohm / 87db rating, not exactly efficient.

 

So, where do I need to be looking and listening?

 

Thanks.

 

edit: If it matters, the room is 15.5 x 14 feet with a flat ceiling and will be treated.

Not to belabor things, but it seems backwards to look for speakers for an amp. Typically I do the reverse. For that matter, there is one heck of a big difference between SET and 45-50 watts. 50 watts typically implies a push pull amp which is anything but SET. Weren't you recently looking for an amp to drive HPs? Are you looking to put pair these with that?

 

I've been down the single driver route(plus sub?). It was great for a chick and her guitar or chamber music, but always left me wanting with other material. There is only so much one can do with a 6" driver and a whizzer cone. If I were to go back there, I'd look into something Lowther based instead of horn based in a room that size. I must admit that I have a bit of a love affair with Tannoy though.

[bobbmd]

legacy audio they range from 1700$ for studio hd monitors i have next level is calibre then all the way up to one's in the 50000$ range you mention

handmade in springfield illinois

[ShawnC]

Some interesting stuff in this short article

 

https://hometheaterreview.com/whats-so-irresistible-about-a-single-ended-triode-set-amp/

 

@AudioDoctor, I would've considered you with a pair of Beolab 50's.  All active speakers with modern style and then in your Den/study a tubed amp headphone setup.

 

https://www.bang-olufsen.com/da/hoejttalere/beolab-50?variant=beolab-50-bronze

[ray-dude]

4 hours ago, kennyb123 said:

These are amazing at just below your price point:  https://voxativ.berlin/987

 

 

love my 9.87’s (my previous speakers were B&W 802d3’s). I have the 4D drivers which are 104dB efficient.  Basically a full range speaker experience with <2W. The dynamics, transparency, and holographic imaging are way beyond anything I’ve heard before. Single driver speaker experience isn’t for everyone, but worth seeking out an audition

[firedog]

Open baffle if you find some you like. Very efficient.

[4est]

1 hour ago, firedog said:

Open baffle if you find some you like. Very efficient.

Although I like open baffles when done well, they are not intrinsically efficient.  There are some that are, but one would needs to check.

[Allan F]

Horn speakers are known for their efficiency. Avantgarde and Klipsch are two well known manufacturers.

[AudioDoctor]

5 hours ago, 4est said:

Not to belabor things, but it seems backwards to look for speakers for an amp. Typically I do the reverse. For that matter, there is one heck of a big difference between SET and 45-50 watts. 50 watts typically implies a push pull amp which is anything but SET. Weren't you recently looking for an amp to drive HPs? Are you looking to put pair these with that?

 

I've been down the single driver route(plus sub?). It was great for a chick and her guitar or chamber music, but always left me wanting with other material. There is only so much one can do with a 6" driver and a whizzer cone. If I were to go back there, I'd look into something Lowther based instead of horn based in a room that size. I must admit that I have a bit of a love affair with Tannoy though.

The amp is for headphones...

 

speakers are an extra bonus. 

[davide256]

14 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

I am in the middle of assembling a new system here for myself, and am strongly considering SET amplification, or no more than 40-45 watts of 211 tube power. I am not sure yet...

 

Anyway, I am not up to date on the realm of more efficient speakers, my current pair are Sonus Faber Olympica 1s with a 4 ohm / 87db rating, not exactly efficient.

 

So, where do I need to be looking and listening?

 

Thanks.

 

edit: If it matters, the room is 15.5 x 14 feet with a flat ceiling and will be treated.

Find the speakers you love first... their characteristics will drive which class/type amp is best choice. I rarely hear SET amplifiers used other than with horn speakers... these

have their own unique characteristics for sound.

[AudioDoctor]

4 minutes ago, davide256 said:

Find the speakers you love first... their characteristics will drive which class/type amp is best choice. I rarely hear SET amplifiers used other than with horn speakers... these

have their own unique characteristics for sound.

 

I did, they're called the HiFiman Susvara headphone...

[AudioDoctor]

5 hours ago, ShawnC said:

Some interesting stuff in this short article

 

https://hometheaterreview.com/whats-so-irresistible-about-a-single-ended-triode-set-amp/

 

@AudioDoctor, I would've considered you with a pair of Beolab 50's.  All active speakers with modern style and then in your Den/study a tubed amp headphone setup.

 

https://www.bang-olufsen.com/da/hoejttalere/beolab-50?variant=beolab-50-bronze

 

The Mcintosh receiver and Sonus Faber's are going into the family room, the tubed headphone amp is going into a spare bedroom in the basement where I can be left alone to listen to music.

[davide256]

24 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

I did, they're called the HiFiman Susvara headphone...

This would be an excellent future proof purchase, The Linear Tube Audio Electrostatic headphone amplifier ( unless you plan to buy a Raal SR1A  :<) )

High/low impedance headphone jacks,  STAX type headphone plug and 12 w to drive speakers. Berning design means tubes  stay relatively linear in tone color

response, fast transients and no problems with low end bass.

 

https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/z10e-electrostatic-headphone-amp-integrated-amp

 

 

 

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

1 minute ago, davide256 said:

This would be an excellent future proof purchase, The Linear Tube Audio Electrostatic headphone amplifier ( unless you plan to buy a Raal R1A  :<) )

High/low impedance headphone jacks,  STAX type headphone plug and 12 w to drive speakers. Berning design means tubes  stay relatively linear in tone color

response, fast transients and no problems with low end bass.

 

https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/z10e-electrostatic-headphone-amp-integrated-amp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that for Electrostatic headphones only? The Susvara's are planar magnetic.

[davide256]

8 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

 

Is that for Electrostatic headphones only? The Susvara's are planar magnetic.

It supports all... future proof. I listened through it at CAF with the Meze Empyreans  and the Dan Clark Voce's, pretty impressive. They also have a model down

thats limited to standard headphones, the MZ3 which is the later upgraded version of the MZ2 I use. It puts out 1W for speakers, vs the 12W amp section

of the Electrostatic headphone amp.

[StephenJK]

17 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

I am in the middle of assembling a new system here for myself, and am strongly considering SET amplification, or no more than 40-45 watts of 211 tube power. I am not sure yet...

 

Anyway, I am not up to date on the realm of more efficient speakers, my current pair are Sonus Faber Olympica 1s with a 4 ohm / 87db rating, not exactly efficient.

 

So, where do I need to be looking and listening?

 

Thanks.

 

edit: If it matters, the room is 15.5 x 14 feet with a flat ceiling and will be treated.

Goodness sake, for $50K you could easily afford a pair of Devialet Expert Pro 440s and a pair of KEF Blades - the originals, not the little brothers. 
 

That’s my setup - I  bought the amps as demo and the speakers used. Best system I wver had. 

[kennyb123]

7 hours ago, ray-dude said:

Single driver speaker experience isn’t for everyone, but worth seeking out an audition

Ray - any chance you could provide some more context around how the single driver experience might not be for everyone?  As mentioned, I loved what I heard from the 9.87 at RMAF a few years ago.  None of the music played in that room provided any hint that these single driver speakers would fall short with any type of music.  Their Zeth is something I’ve eyed as a speaker in my price range that I could drive with my TT2.  I’ve yet to hear it but wonder how well it would align to my listening preferences.