Here's a link to an article that will help you in deciding.
It's a good read for anyone trying to choose speakers and amps.
http://www.symphonysound.com/articles/tubefriendly.html |
Here's a link to a list that covers a lot of the ground.
http://www.welbornelabs.com/recomendspeaks.htm
Also, just search "High efficiency" on the A'gon site (discussion section) to locate several useful threads with plenty of suggestions and recommendations. |
Zu comes to mind.
Or .....you can wait for my SD monsters which will be offered to local audiophiles only and SD fanatics at great savings.
Based on Sachiko design, modified drivers, LAT wiring and multi-layer Birch Ply constraction.
Of course it is only my personal opinion but these are the best SD I've heard.......for the price that is. They replaced my old Vanderstreen Quatro......
I am driving them with 8wpc Melody M300b monos.
Happy Holidays to All
Mariusz |
Nothing is higher efficiency then Klipsch Klipschorn or Belles. Couple those with new ALK Engineering cross-overs and tube electronics and you are on your way to audio heaven. You are fortunate to have a room that can do them justice. The K's will create a clean volume of sound that once heard, will stop you from ever looking at anything else. Yes, I've had the K's, but not the ALK cross. When I down sized the K's had to go. Klipsch has a user's site and you may be able to connect with someone local who can give you a demo. You will be amazed! |
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You may want to consider some single driver speakers, especially back loaded horns such as carder or kcs.
They present a very benign load to a vacuum tue amp that really brings out the best from the amp.
Regards
Paul |
My Coincidents are great.
1 question: 14-16" deep? Are you putting them against a rear wall? If so, you have one option only-vintage klipsch |
I only have 8/10" behind the speakers. AN J's worked very well in that regard. |
If you e/mail Welborne labs about anything, you will wait a long time for a reply. |
This should not even be a discussion.....KLIPSCH hands down! |
I have a 15 wpc push pull Shindo amp and I'm finding that my Devore Super 8s don't have enough bottom end for me. The Devores are special speakers, with wonderful tonality and coherence in the mids and highs, but they just don't have the deep slam that I crave. I suspect that you're finding the same with your AN J's. The fellow that sold me the Super 8s moved up to the 9s and he reports that he's very pleased with them. When I took my amp to my friends with HE speakers Cain & Cain Abbys (95 dB) and Klipsch LaScalas (105 dB) my amp sounded absolutely wonderful. Conclusion- my amp needs a HE speaker for it to really shine. |
some of the best speakers I ever heard were at AK Fest in Detroit MI. They were homemade with 2 Fostex drivers ($68 each driver) and a supertweeter, the palpability was breathtaking. They were not full range (there is always a catch) being bass deficient but were easily the best sound at the show even though there was a lot of high end rooms including Audio Note with $13,000.00 E silver speakers and level 6 pre and conquest power. |
I'm a big fan of the vintage Klipsch (Khorns and LaScalas - have owned 2 pairs of LaScalas both of which I modified). They are hard to beat as a pairing with low-powered SET amps, but definitely can be improved upon in many ways, especially the tweets. A few years ago moved out of my large workspace and started to condense my two systems into one. I use 9 watt 300B SET's also. I live in a small renovated tudor house. The room I listen in is similar in scale, but just a bit smaller than yours. I could not make the Klipsch speakers work in my space and my wife hated their size and appearance, and they were simply too large and overwhelming for the size of room I'm in (about 12X25, ceiling slopes from 8-12 feet - forced to setup on the long wall). So I searched for three years for a speaker that could satisfy me. I was spoiled by the speed and imaging of those horns in my studio. It is an excellent way to go, but can overwhelm a small space (yours is not as small as mine). I tried many different speakers and even different amps a few times. Of the speakers I did not like Zu Druids. Silverline Sonatina's were damn good, but didn't reach low enough. SR17's are great but not with SET. Galante Rhapsodys (or the larger version - I think Buckingham perhaps) worked very well, but are no longer made and don't know if driver replacements are available. Again, lows were lacking. Long story short; I've ended up settling on Coincident Super Eclipse III's and am delighted with those speakers. Lightening fast. Outstanding soundstage. Reach down real low (though I'd say on the MOST demanding of bass passages they DO show they could use just a bit more power - it is very rare, but it does occur in perhaps 1/100 recordings I enjoy). Anyway, I'd recommend them highly.
Good luck! |
Since your space is tight, a medium sized Klipsch may work better. Cornwalls are much more compact than LaScalas or Khorns but still extremely efficient and won't mind the rear wall. |
sonist
more lively than AN
and a terrific bargain
i would also suggest tonian but i do not think
the bottom would impress you. also very well priced |
I have a pair of ste labs avatars that are the best speaker I've ever heard period. They are 110 db efficient, and sound rediculously good. I've never had music and voices sound so real with any other speaker. I heard these at the shop that they're built at and was blown away. I was getting a levinson amp fixed there and just happened to hear them playing in the background and was drawn to them. Long story short I put down a deposit right there because I could not pass them up. These are the kind of speaks that you won't sell or trade for anything. Once you got them you won't even think about upgrading. I love my speakers and they are worth checking out if your in the market for high efficiency speakers that kickbutt. Btw I've had them for a year and a half and still am as happy with them as the day I bought them! |
Hi Doggg, could you provide some info on the STE labs? I tried to google them but nothing showed up. Where are they made/sold and what's the price range?
Thanks |
I've read some great things about the Emerald physics speakers. Check out the Klipsch Epic CF4's, that are being sold here on Audiogon. Another speaker worth hearing is the Von Sweikert DB-99's. |
Glory
The DeVore's are good. You might also look at the Reference 3A line of speakers. Seems like they are about 90+ db. Just as important they come alive with low power amps and they can really fill a room, even a large room.
I used to be a dealer for them. |
Mikey;
http://www.sertechelectronics.com/avatar/index.html |
Hi Mikiec8,
They are made by ste labs aka sertech electronics in san jose, ca. If you google ste labs avatar they're website comes up. Robert is the guy I bought them from. He also builds them. They sold me a pair of them for $6700. I've NEVER spent anywhere near that much for any single piece of equiptment I've ever had but after I heard these I couldn't stop thinking about the way they sounded. I had to have them! If your ever in san jose I strongly suggest going by sertech and giving them a listen. To give you an idea of what I compare them too. I've had revel salons, wilson watt puppys, duntech soveriens, sonus faber cremonas, and my home theater is all sonus faber home with jl audio f113 7.1 setup. |
Hi Doggg, unfortunately I'm in Toronto, Canada. I do visit SF/SJ occasionally, so I'll definitely make it a point to check them out the next time I'm in the area. The speakers you're comparing them to are certainly no slouches either, so they must sound pretty good.
Thanks |
Doggg,
I'm confused.
'You've never spent anywhere near $6700 for a piece of equipment' 'but you've had revel salons, wilson watt puppy's.'
The speakers you've had are much more expensive than $6700?
Thanks. |
Yes those speaks are more expensive retail. But I picked up the watt puppys from a friend who got them from buying out a storage space that someone had not paid on. Score! He got a bunch of nice equipt out of the storage and sold me the watt puppys for a really good price. The salons were a friend of mines that took forever to move into his new house so I got to play with them for a couple of months while he lagged. The duntechs I found at a buddys recycling plant (go figure) and the woofers needed to have new surrounds put on. I got those for damn near nothing and just had to have the surrounds fixed (those speaks are crazy to move!) The rest of my equipt I've bought from here and it just wasn't that expensive. Sorry for the confusion. |
dogg noway 110db 1 watt out of a signal non horn loaded woofer or dual 98db fostex tweeters. Are you say 110db peak? Or 110db 1 watt 1 meter? |
Thanks Dogg,
Nice deals!
Thanks for your comments - I appreciate them. |
I'll add my vote for Klipsch - I love my Cornwall's, and the Belle's and K-horns are great, too! |
