High Sensitivity Speakers that work best with SS

I have seen apparently vendor neutral headphone websites that provide very detailed charts regarding headphone specifications at teh various frequencies. I found that very useful to help sort through the myriads of headphone/earphone products out there these days at all price points. Sure would be nice if something similar existed for speakers that would help one know better what should work best, at least on paper, prior to trying. I suppose magazines like Stereophile and others do provide such information, but it is not as complete nor centralized, which would maximize the value.

Maybe that's good fodder for a useful future Audiogon site enhancement to help people sort through the noise prior to spending the big bucks on high end audio?

Mapman, I agree, which was part of why I wrote this article:
http://www.atma-sphere.com/Resources/Paradigms_in_Amplifier_Design.php

I used the word 'paradigm' in the article because the industry and designers that are taught a certain way don't always want to look at things that are outside of their box. But if they did, I think it would save a lot of audiophiles enough change to buy a new car...

Hi guys,

Atmasphere, thanks for clarifying the situation. Before reading this post, I though it was common knowledge, but after seeing that nobody has pointed it out, I realize that maybe it was just my hunch. If you do not mind, I have another question about:

On higher efficiency speakers the distortion character in an amplifier that seems to be most successful is that where the distortion linearly decreases to unmeasurable as power is decreased. This is the realm of SETs, the Nelson First Watt designs and our own OTLs.

Is this intrinsic to these specific designs, i.e. it is simple not possible to achieve similar signal-to-noise rations when building powerful amps? Or, is this because in these designs the designers pay special attention to this (unlike most designers of powerful amps)?

Unsound, I do not thing either of us (or anybody else for that matter) has digressed. Understanding why a particular combination may not work is always beneficial. (Regarding the question mark it was not necessary as it was an indirect question, i.e. I am wondering ... )

Mapman, do you have in mind any specific combination of very efficient speakers and a powerful amp?

NVP,

I'm biamping my Avantgarde Uno's with 2 tact S2150 amps with excellent results. Each amp puts out 150 watts/channel. 1 amp for the tweeter's and 1 amp for the midrange. They are extremely quiet with no hum or hiss even with the high sensitivity of the Uno's.

Is this intrinsic to these specific designs, i.e. it is simple not possible to achieve similar signal-to-noise rations when building powerful amps? Or, is this because in these designs the designers pay special attention to this (unlike most designers of powerful amps)?

With the designs I listed 'intrinsic' is probably the best word. I don't think either the First Watt or an SET can be particularly powerful, but the OTLs can- the biggest so far is 500 watts.

"Mapman, do you have in mind any specific combination of very efficient speakers and a powerful amp?"

THe powerful SS amps are my current Bel Canto ref1000a mono- blocks. No specific speakers in mind, though I am more interested initially with smaller designs with bass extension that might compare favorably in terms of both price and performance to a decent pair of lower efficiency monitors.

I have 2 hi eff systems running on SS amplification there are many SS amps and hi eff loudspeakers that work well together.