In search of speakers that are more efficient

[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

[ray-dude]

19 hours ago, kennyb123 said:

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.  

 

I've learned over time that each of us reacts a bit differently to sound.  I overly simplify it as folks that connect more with power information, and folks that connect more with phase information (people are obviously on a spectrum).  My brain is hyper sensitive to phase information.  The more coherent a sound stage, the more it clicks as "real" in my brain.  That sense of "real" (being part of the performance and performance space vs listening to music) is the musical high I go after.  Others seem to react more to the physicality of the music.  I appreciate that as well, but my brain switches into another more when all the phase stuff is aligned.

 

For that, the 9.87's are the best I've heard.  Single driver means no misalignment between sound coming from various drivers and no loss of transparency from cross overs.  The ultra high efficiency means I can drive them directly from my Chord DAVE (which has the best timing precision I've ever heard from a DAC), with no loss in transparency through a pre amp or amp.  Ultra high precision DAC connected directly to a transducer, with nothing but speaker wire in between.

 

With great recordings (even better with binaural recordings), the sounds stage is absolutely (and literally) holographic.  My room becomes the church or studio or club the session was recorded in.  It is a full surround/atmos like experience.  Absolutely wonderful

 

That being said, with a single driver it is almost impossible to get perfect tonal balance across the range of frequencies the driver has to reproduce.  If you are sensitive to tonal imbalances, these are not for you.  In my case, I've found that my brain very easily adjusts to tonal imbalances after a bit of listening, but switch still goes on when the phase alignment and coherence is there and I'm transported to the space with the musicians.

 

The analogy I like to use is when I am walking by a coffee shop, I can tell if there is live music is being played inside, even with all the distortions of the music coming through the walls and glass, etc. Another example, is when I was walking into the airport a year or so ago, my ears perked up because I was hearing live piano. When I went in, I saw that another traveler was sitting at a piano and playing. Even with all the traffic and airport noise, I could tell it was live music from outside the terminal, and I was attracted to it and wanted to listen.  By any normal measure of tonal balance and distortion and noise floor, both being outside the coffee shop and airport terminal are absolutely atrocious.  However, they are still unambiguously real.  

 

Hearing the Omega SAMs then the Vox's completely turned my audiophile world upside down.  The 9.87's give me that sense of real WAY more than any other speaker I've ever heard.  For others, any tonal issues may be a deal breaker.  

 

My advice is to hear them first hand.  If your brain is wired like mine, it will be a life changing experience (audiophile wise).  If not, you'll know right away.  Alas, these are hard to find outside of shows (and even harder with shows getting canceled for Corona virus).  I have a standing invitation to anyone that wants to hear these to visit in San Diego (I have Voxativ Zeth's with the entry level drivers as well, and some Omega Super Alnico Monitors, so we can compare different levels of single high efficiency drivers).  If of serious interest, drop a PM and we an arrange a listening session with our local audiophile group, with an appropriate beverage (or three).

 

(here is a write up I did in another forum - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hugo-m-scaler-by-chord-electronics-the-official-thread.885042/page-535#post-15146757 )

[ray-dude]

1 minute ago, kennyb123 said:

Another important quality for me is heft.  My Aerial 10Ts convey this to a satisfactory level.  I wonder how a single driver speaker Zeth might hold up in this regard (when used with their subs).  

 

 

I have the bass units for the Zeth's (single bass driver and class D amp, vs the dual bass drivers and class A/B amps in the Pi bass units).  The Zeth's + Z bass units are VERY nice, even with the entry level drivers.  In fact, I consider the Omega SAMs + Z bass units driven direct by a Chord DAC to be the best bang for the buck in audio (~$6k for a world class listening experience).

 

For me, the Vox's have enough speed that they have that "snap!" that conveys real physicality.  The pi bass units are absolutely killer.  I don't miss my B&W 802d3's in the slightest (well maybe just a little).  Even the 2W from DAVE drives these to uncomfortable listening levels for me.

 

 

1 minute ago, kennyb123 said:

I had lived in San Diego for 7 years prior to moving to the Seattle area in 2003.  I have been promising friends I will visit there again in the not too distant future.  Likely I will one day take you up on your invitation.  With the first US coronavirus death having occurred at the hospital less than a mile from my home, that’s not gonna happen anytime soon though.

 

 

Would love to host you Ken.  Stay safe and healthy, and I hope things stay contained up there (for all our sakes)