Since I last posted, I can add the Cube Audio Nenuphar Basis (Nenuphar full range driver supplemented by a powered woofer). To me, this system is MUCH better than the single driver Nenuphar system and at a not ultra crazy price. In the really high end range, I heard a recent custom build by Deja Vu Audio that sounds great--vintage Western Electric 713A driver and 32 horn for midrange, Fostex tweeter (current model), and vintage Goodman 18" woofer, modern parts crossover using Audio Note copper capacitors). This system sounds terrific when driven by Western Electric 124 amps (6L6 or 350B tubes).
high-efficiency loudspeakers
What is the best high-efficiancy loudspeakers? If you have it, are you happy ?
81 responses Add your response
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I know they aren't the "best", but I really enjoy my Legacy Audio Focus 20/20 speakers. I've heard better speakers, but purchasing a used set of these was the best price / performance compromise for me. I also have a pair of Klipsch klf-30 speakers and a pair of Klipsch heresy I. I've gone through and replaced the crossovers and all of the drivers in the heresy and the crossovers mids and tweets in the klf-30s with parts from Bob Crites. They are both very listenable speakers. |
I am a fan of many high-efficiency systems, but, most are systems built from high efficiency drivers and custom cabinets and crossovers and not complete packages. I like some vintage drivers and a few modern drivers that are either straight out replicas of old drivers or are modern updates of old drivers; these however, are crazy expensive (e.g., G.I.P, Cogent, Goto). Of the modern, complete systems, my favorite are the Charney Audio systems utilizing full range drivers in back-loaded horn configurations. Until I heard the Charneys, I did not think that a single driver system could really be a complete speaker capable of playing all sorts of music very well. For a fairly low-cost high efficiency system (albeit with a built-in amplifier for its bass driver), I like the Rethm Bhaava. At a substantially higher price level, I like the Avantgarde systems that also use powered bass drivers. For not so high efficiency speakers, I like the entire line of Audio Note speakers, The 093 family of Devores, Trenner and Friedl speakers, Classic Audio field coil driver speakers and Horning. |
One thing about the Heresy IIIs that's interesting and noticeable when looking at them (which I often do since they're in front of my eyeballs when listening) explains part of the musical coherence they display in spades...measured from the center of the tweeter horn to the center of the woofer is only about a foot...to the edge of the woofer much less of course...all due to the mid horn being narrow top to bottom and placed right on top of the woofer (even has a cutout in the same radius as the woofer to help in the proximity), and the tweeter horn right on top of the mid. For a 3 way that's pretty close, and the design works amazingly well with tseamless blending of the drivers...a good thing. |
Yes, currently using Hawthorne silver Iris drivers in a open baffle, sounding very very nice now as my kt77 gold lion tubes in my amp have settled in very nice.With high efficiency speakers I recommend all tubes or tube pre and SS amp.Most of these speakers have horns or compression drivers.For me I won't buy a horn loaded speaker but you may like them . |
Note that my still surprisingly great sounding Klipsch Heresy IIIs cost (from a reputable Ebay seller/dealer with factory warranty) about 1500 clams including shipping. For a beautiful sounding 99db efficient 3 way I think they are unique little speakers that will raise the roof with my massive 12wpc single ended tube amp. Unfortunately it does require payment in actual clams, which need to be refrigerated. |
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Over the holidays I took delivery of a pair of Daedalus Audio Apollos. Far and away the best speakers I have ever owned and among the best I have heard at any price. Simply gorgeous and sound incredible. I have done some writing about them here: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/daedalus-audio-apollo-speakers and will continue to add impressions to the thread. Very efficient, easy impedance load, high power handling, easy to place in the room, big, bold, natural sound. I am running them with an LTA Ultralinear amp which is a great match. |
"The Best" is a moving target. *S* Absolutely...typically, what you have....until you fall out of love with it when 'Better' appears.... wolf_g, yeah, and the Edison cylinders just complete the Experience..... (...the crystal tuners' whisker forces one to turn off the Mazda lamp, which invariably knocks it off signal....as a source, a notable fail....*sigh*....) |
Several people have mentioned the subjective nature of finding "the best" of anything, and I don’t think anyone disputes that. It still remains a journey we undertake willingly, because it’s so much fun. Over the last days I’ve read the Posts and thought about the concept of "Best" and about how much I continually learn about measuring sonic performance. Education never stops. "The Best" is a moving target. With that said: efficient speakers and am I happy with them? Early on, Aric of Aric Audio shared with me that he was about to launch the first of several speakers on his website. At the time, my interest and focus was on structuring the tube system to maximize it’s ability to blow me away every time I powered it up. The undertaking was highly successful yielding 3 preamps and 3 amps. Then I started thinking about speakers. To cut to the chase, I bought a set of his Dynaltos which are 30" floor standing 3 ways, crossed masterfully, which (I live in rural Nebraska) with freight, came in under $4K. These speakers are incredible. The build quality is excellent, fit and finish makes you not even notice it, and the sound -- that’s why we do this, right? I find them very articulate due to the ribbon tweet and its marriage to the mid because of his unique crossover design It sounds like one speaker -- even up close. To me, they also have both a dynamic and a 3-dimensional presence and throw a sound stage that’s wide. He rates them at 95db @ 1 watt/1 meter. My SE can drive them with ease with all of its 18 watts yet they maintain composure when driven hard by my Enigmatic mono blocks which are 120 watts a piece. Additionally they produce very low bass for a 10" in a "smallish" sized cab. Their footprint is only 11" X 13" but they sound like they are much bigger than that. It’s a bit ironic that what I believe to be among "The Best" are truly "Unknowns" at this point because they haven’t officially been rolled out yet. Stay tuned. You might be hearing a great deal about these speakers. |
The real test for a high efficiency speaker is if it can be powered by an 1W amplifier and reproduce the entire frequency range (including bass) with 1W or less. Here is one review that covers such a system: http://theaudiobeatnik.com/linear-tube-audio-mz2-s-originally-released-microzotl2-0-teresonic-magus |
There are several manufacturers of hi-efficiency speakers, nut not many that are commonly discussed on this forum. There is no "best", just what's best to you. Mating a speaker to an amp for best sound involves a lot of factors besides the sensHere are some more manufacturers: - Audio Note E,J, K or their DIY counterparts from ANK kits - Avantgarde Acoustics - extremely efficient and pricey - Bob Crites horn designs - the Cornscala will change the way you think about horns - Cain and Cain - single driver speakers - Classic Audio speakers - Coherent - made in Canada. Look beautiful but I have not heard them - Coincident - decware - all great - Devore O/97 and O/93 - outstanding speakers - Omega - the best single-driver speakers I have personally heard - Pi - Reference 3A - you will see a lot of PP amps using these - Rethm - the Bhaava is an amazing, affordable point source/rear loaded horn speaker w/ an active bass driver - RL Acoustique - Lamhorn - Shindo - upscale Klipsch designs, sound wonderful but $$$ - Silverline - some models - Spatial - the M3/M4 Triode Master versions. Quite affordable - Trenner & Friedl - some models - Tyler Acoustics - some models - Volti Audio - 21st century reworking of the classic Klipsch horn designs - Tekton & Zu - not my cup of tea but a lot of guys love these I may have missed some. There's also a whole world of older/classic speakers from an age when high-efficiency was a requirement and not a choice. Here are a few suggestions: - Altec Lansing - Specifically the models 14, 15 and 19 - Cain and Cain - single drivers, highly regarded, company recently demised - KEF - Klipsch - all classic Klipsch models w/ horns are very efficient - Snell E, J, K or the /II models - the genesis of the Audio Note line. If you want to see if AN speakers will work in your room for cheap, grab a pair of these in good condition - Tannoy - some models, although I always found these to be much less efficient than listed by the specs - Von Schweikert db99 speaker - a recent model from a current mfr I'm sure that I missed someone's favorite speaker vendor. If so my apologies... |
While there is no "best", I will say that Legacy Audio comes close..I've heard most of the above mentioned brands, and Legacy is the one that captures my heart and soul. A very efficient speaker not needing a lot of power to drive, but at the same time will handle a huge amount of clean power. Even the Legacy bookshelf speaker (Studio HD's) have a awesome sound, and have sound much larger than they actually are...they also score well on the wife factor, with their custom finishes she will find something that will fit her taste..the Rosewood finish did the trick for my better half. www.legacyaudio.com |
Hello all, First, wtf, you're going to LOVE the Decware. I've been playing around with that amp since 2004. Done more mods on it than you can shake a stick at. Never felt a need to go the true DHT route. ( And I've heard a bunch of them ). It's just that good. But of course you need the right speaker to mate with it. Let me throw my two cents in for the Decware HDT. Been using that also since 2004. That combo replaced a very high end system of Sonus Faber Guarnieri Homages/REL Stadium III subs driven by solid state electronics. Wouldn't dream of going back. The HDT does all the things exceptionally well that single driver loudspeakers are noted for. Plus its WAF is very good. That combo gets plenty loud enough for me. For the record I have no stake in Decware other than being a happy customer for a long time. Cheers, Crazy Bill |
PWK Khorns for decades. They have a deep sound stage, when properly voiced with good quality amps. Quality is key. And most of my listening is done slightly below 90dB. In the last 60 years of this hobby I've heard systems that sound as good or only different, but none better. And none that delivered a "live in the next room" sound. I have Martin Logan ESL's in another room, which are extremely transparent but sterile. I like the MLs, but they are not very involving. They provide a good reason to talk about and discuss amplifiers with other audiophile. Good material for helping selling amps in audio rags. Had Maggie's, Quads . . . same issue despite throwing tons of watts at them at any level. Odd, that I still like the MLs. |
I also play my music very loud. I have a pair of
Source Loudspeaker Technologies 7211's with 2 H/VS 10 Subwoofers and I'm very happy. I have a DB meter on my ipad and I play in the 92 DB up to 98 range with ease. Don't hear much about these speakers but at $2400 and $1800 each for the sub's there a very good deal. Built in
South Windsor, CT by John Sollecito. You can give him a call he's very happy to talk to you about your music needs. |
I own Spatial Audio M2 Turbos - 94dB? They're wonderful. I have a pair of the new Spatial X2s on order. 92dB? Clayton Shaw and the world tell me they'll be wonderfuller. Impatient? Me? I run the M2s with a PS Audio Sprout. It's wonderful, too, and what? 33w/channel? And a good 'nuff DAC, and Bluetooth. Lively and fun with the M2s. |
Ken Shindo gets the hammer green color that he uses in some of his amps from the Altec Lansing 604C. He actually once used a pair of 604Cs in a pair of floor standing cabinets that were being sold for $33,000 in a Manhattan audio salon, maybe two summers ago. The pair I have are in an identically sized pair of cabinets. I added the Mastering Lab crossovers, the whole package costing me $3,300, a mere tenth of what the “Shindo” pair eventually sold for, to some unsuspecting Wall Street sucker no doubt. I’ve had my pair for 35 years. Every 7 or 8 years or so I figure there must be something better, I go shopping for a month or so and decide well, yes, this or that may be better but is it $50K better, and the answer is always decidedly no. The speakers are 103DB. I run them with a pair of Julius Futterman OTL3s, converted to triode. The depth and detail are outstanding. I’m basically a happy camper. |
@kqvkq with regard to Quad ESL 57s the recomended maximum amp size was 45 wpc as I had them and when Quad brought out their 405 current dumping amplifier they stipulated that you had to put current limiting resistors in it to limit the amp to 45wpc when using the 57s. I'm afraid I know this to my cost as twice I had to replace bass panels as I thought I would be smart and not use the resistors. |
I had B&W 804s. I thought those were efficient. Then I got the Tekton DI upgrades. Made the 804s sound bad and inefficient in comparison. I now have the Tekton Ulfs. More efficient and even better sounding than the DIs. I think I've slain the speaker dragon. I'm not even looking anymore. Not a very Audiogonish statement, I know. |
Best? There is no such thing. There are too many variables for any absolutes. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Quad ESL 57. There was a recommended 25 wpc maximum on those if I remember correctly. Sure some will like horns, personal preference and all that. After having many different types and styles I settled on VPMS Tower II many years ago and have never looked back. I picked up a second pair and can drive both pair with a 20 wpc tube amp with glorious results. Best? There is no best. It's all in what you like. |
Living Voice also makes less expensive speakers then the Vox Op their line of regular speakers are very good and an easy load for SET mine the Avatar 2's are 94db @6ohms nominal. I came from ANE's good but the living voice are better imo. also noted living voice tests/voices all their speakers on Kondo gear so definatly good with tubes. I push mine with 300b love from Finale Audio / Triod Labs. |
Here’s a start.. Magico Ultimate Volti Audio Vittora https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz_Vkhgx4cs JBL Everest Project Mark Levinson Daniel Hertz I don't have any, but would be happy with any of the above... :-D PureAudio Project OB speakers look interesting as well. Not horns, but pretty high efficiency. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E-XEIBnxy8 |
@bache This speakers is huge. WAF-is almost zero I’m not aware if you’re referring to any particular of the mentioned speakers, but yeah most of them are not necessarily what you’d call spouse-friendly :) I’d wager though there may be exceptions with speakers like the ones I’m referencing, being that horn speakers usually look very different, sometimes even sculptural compared to many of the more typical, direct radiating speakers, and so even being rather humongous at times they can find an unexpected approval among women simply for not looking like the usual square box, but instead like a piece of furniture or just.. well, intriguing. And that for being more or less unapologetically functional.. Actually this is an interesting and rather telling development from the outset of your question, where you inquired on high efficiency speakers and the best of their kin - sans proviso, certainly implicitly by not articulating any - and eventually the obstacle to overcome is: size. Perhaps a provocative takeaway from this would be for it to work as an analogy for the speaker industry at large; the outset initially was to achieve High Fidelity (the hidden issue to later materialize appears to be whether the reference to strive for is external, or one chiefly created around itself), but eventually the need for convenience and cost prevailed, and the rest, as they say, is history. @bache Please be aware I’m not in any way at odds with your inquiry. I’m just using it to poke around ;) |
@bache What is the best high-efficiancy loudspeakers? If you have it, are you happy ? Don’t know what’s the best out there, or to whom, but some of the better of the crop true high efficiency speakers (>95dB or, as suggested by poster atmasphere, even >100dB’s) could be something like Living Voice’s all-horn Vox Olympian + Elysian (horn subs)/Vox Palladium + Basso (horn sub), or Oswalds Mill Audio Imperia all-horn system (incl. horn subs) - all of which sits at 105dB efficiency, indeed what I’d call very high efficiency. These speaker systems cost a fortune, certainly the Living Voice iterations, and are what I’d refer to as statement products. However, there’s a whole range of perhaps lesser known and generally much more affordable "sub-genre" of horn speakers, if you will, that also includes vintage models from Klangfilm like the Bionor, Euronor or the massive Eurodyn (hardly for domestic milieus), Western Electric models such as the 12a and 16a, Shearer horns, RCA, etc. and variety of DIY options - speakers that in some respects can (more than) hold their own against much more expensive, contemporary (and more readily known) brands and models. To achieve the fuller sonic potential I’d go all-in and opt for all-horn options (rather than hybrids), size and other practical concerns be damned; if you’re going after high efficiency don’t be coy or apologetic, and be prepared to re-think speaker-amp configurations completely. My own speakers are Simon Mears Audio all-horn Uccello’s. They sport an efficiency of a measured 105dB, and are based on the Klipsch Belle model (apart from a slightly tweaked bass horn flare everything else is different, and better, and the speakers are hand-build by a true artisan from scratch). And to answer your question, yes, I’m happy with them - very much indeed. I suspect in the future to wring even more potential out of them with a 300b-based SET (~7 watts), build by an associate of Mr. Mears who’s very knowledgeable with the sound of the Uccello’s, and possibly - if practical circumstances permit - the addition of a pair of horn subwoofers (build by Mr. Mears) in the future as well. As is they are very capable in my setup, and gather I’m off the merry-go-round in this department for years to come. |
Ralph is there an established price list for the "Classic Audio Loud speakers" ?It depends on which model and which options. So they can be anywhere from $8000 and up. I've not seen an established price list- just give John a call. @dodgealum , while the Deadalus is a very nice speaker (and easy to drive), its not really what I would call 'high efficiency' although they are at the high end of what seems to be 'moderate efficiency'. He specs 96db+ on his site, but that is a sensitivity rating, not efficiency. The sensitivity rating requires that you take the impedance of the speaker into account because the rating is based on voltage rather than power. So for example, if the speaker is 96db and 6 ohms, its actual efficiency is around 94.5db. 97 or 98 db might be the bottom end of what is considered high efficiency, with many examples being over 100db. |
I've been a huge fan of Deadalus Audio speakers for over a decade. During that time Lou has steadily pushed his designs forward in terms of performance without losing an iota of what makes his designs some of the most musically compelling loudspeakers you can get at an price. They are all very high efficiency (96db+) with a very flat impedance curve so will work well with a wide range of amplification. I recently heard his new Apollo series design (Apollo 11) and was stunned by their performance. For high efficiency speakers Daedalus get my strongest recommendation!! |
+1 for ZU Audio. I have the ZU Audio Soul MKII's and they are 99db efficient. You can drive them very easily. They are very fast and the midrange is terrific. You do need to take time with speaker placement (as you would with many speakers.) Also, points for WAF if this concerns you at all. I had a chance to visit ZU Audio in Ogden Utah in April 2016. The team couldn't have been any nicer. They gave me a tour of the facility and paint/cable assembly rooms and they made a clarity cap/Juniper bypass for me on sight (which was easy to install when I returned home.) As mentioned previously in this thread, if you want analytical, ZU will not be for you. I would keep with ZU if I decide to upgrade (to the Omen Def MK4) but I do not see that happening anytime soon. Good luck |
While not quite "high" efficiency, I like the Audio Note line for their sound quality, adaptability to a wide assortment of rooms, and wide range of price options. They can be made to sound pretty good in almost any system, but will still reward use in ultra high end systems. While they can play quite loud (for my taste), they are not the best choice for those who like to play at punishingly high volume levels. Audio Note is for those who like a warm, rich sound. For some seeking a brighter sound and harder edged dynamics, the Classic Audio field coil speakers are worth hearing. But, they are much bigger in size than the Audio Note speakers. At a recent audio show, I heard a $14,000 Charney system using a single Voxativ driver per speaker (back-loaded horn arrangement) that sounded very good and came in a reasonably compact and nice looking cabinet. The sound was very even (not peaky like most single driver speakers),surprisingly full in the midbass range and reasonably full in the lower bass range. The only thing I would want for more is extension on top. For lower priced high efficiency speakers, I thought the $3,000 Tekton system I heard at a show was quite good. A Rethm speaker in that price range was also surprisingly good (single driver covering most of the frequency range with a built in powered subwoofer). The very best high efficiency system I've heard was a custom-built system using field coil drivers from G.I.P. Laboratories. But, the drivers alone have a price approaching six figures. |
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