In need high-efficency speakers

You need to figure out what your priorities  are. With high efficiency  your giving up bass for same size speaker. Your amp should have plenty of oomph to drive many types of speakers as long as your not headbanging. Try to hear as much as you can. 

Hi , I have Zu Omen MkI, Klipsch Heresy II’s, Klipsch KG 1.5’s , And JBL 4312A’s. I use either a 12 Wpc Had Inspire , Dynakit MkIII’s ( 60 Wpc ), or a Vintage Marantz 2226 receiver . Without a doubt get the Omens ! I love mine . Sometimes Zu is short on used drivers and installs new ones on the Dirtys ( so I’ve heard ). I have heavy carpet and run the provided spikes . Even with 12 Wpc the Bass is good . I purchased some solid 3” thick Timbernation spiked bases and it sounded terrible . Went back to the spikes . Of the 4 pairs of speakers , I like the Heresys the least . If your interested , I’ll make you a deal . I read a review on the Zotl 40 Wpc and the reviewer loved it with his Tekton Double Impacts . But for $750 , I purchased a pair of pristine Zu Omens in walnut , and will never sell them . At that price you can get the MK II UPGRADE and buy some nice speaker cables , I run Anti-Cables level 3 and Morrow Level 5 Interconnects . My room is 15x20 with a 12’ ceiling . Hope this helps , Mike . 

13blm,
Yes I'm aware of the trade offs. I'm slow and sure before making purchases. When we're no longer able to be content with the lower volume for movies/tv I'll make the plunge. But the Klipsch and Zu are at the top of my short list.

Mjcmt, given that you’ve purchased a pre-owned amplifier, I’m wondering if the reason the sound "hardens" when the volume control is turned up past the 12 o’clock position might simply be that some of the tubes might not be in good condition.

In any event, consistent with my earlier comments it seems to me that buying new speakers to compensate for the fact that turning the volume control up high enough to utilize the majority of the amp’s power capability is not possible without significant sonic degradation, while not first determining what the root cause of the problem is, would not be a good approach. And if the root cause of the problem ultimately cannot be determined, I would consider replacing the amp, not the speakers. As I indicated earlier, you are probably not using more than about 6 watts of its specified 40 watt capability.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

Take the amp and the speakers to an audio friend’s place (or to a dealer) and test each out with other gear.

Choose a course once you’ve figured out the issue(s).

It's more advisable to do this than have a friend bring the gear to your place, just in case the issue(s) are not related to the speakers or the amp. That way you will have a starting point.

  Don't take this the wrong way.  I think I'm talking to a man ???? The wife tricked you again
 The time will never be right to buy the speakers 
You want if you ask her for advice. Do it my way just buy the things you want.   It's so sad.  Don't let kids see you it messes up their heads 
 

Eric Alexander will take care of you.   If you know what I mean    Sir.    

So buellrider, do you ride a Buell?

Al and David_ten,
There is nothing wrong w/ the amp and tubes have little hours on them according to Echo Hi-Fi. My speakers are great too. The sound is lovely w/ music. I think the imagined hardening is greater dynamics in a lively living room w/o any rugs or sound treatment. We like to crank it more w/ movies and for tv specials through the lower output dac. That’s simply it. I never turned it up past 1:00 for fear of damage to amp or speakers, but tonight will try turning it up more as mentioned here when we watch a tv special. I’ve tried higher efficient 94db Klipsch ksb3.1 bookshelf speakers and the added volume is a welcome plus.

@mjcmt   Thanks and understood. 

The difference between 6 watts and 40 watts is about 8 db.  Roughly speaking, for a rotary volume control an 8 db change typically corresponds to about 60 or 70 degrees of rotation (aside from settings near the bottom of the control's range, where volume changes occur more rapidly).

So I would expect that you should be able to get to at least the 2 o'clock position without driving the amp into clipping.  And in any event I would expect that you would hear obvious distortion well before any damage would occur to either the speakers or the amp.

Good luck.  Regards,
-- Al 

@ elevick, I am assuming you have heard every horn loudspeaker? 
I respectfully disagree with you on that way out there statement. lol
I do however agree with you though that  Zu were harsh on my ears also.
Tekton's IMHO do not have anywhere near the musicality that in my case my Klipschorns have. These comments are based solely on audio shows, so perhaps not the most ideal listening situation. Probably.

tekton. at 94 db you will be fine.

@ wolf_garcia , Yes, I ride a tube frame with a Stage 3 motor , Ohlins / Works Performance suspension . Clip on’s and rear sets . Only 150 mph Sportster on the block . Also have a Road King . If I didn’t have the bikes, the guns , the boat , I could have a real set of speakers . But back to speakers , any thoughts on Tekton’ s Perfect Set ? 

Gawdbless, I heard the tekton  monitor impact at Axpona, they did not sound musical , it’s probably the room, the set up, or the component just did not match, I own the monitor for six months before Axpona, they were burn in and settled...they are very musical if you can find the right match of gears and room, Read Teajay review and post here, He described accurately the way they sound.....

I think going from memory the Tektons in one of  the two rooms they had were using Parasound Amps? I could be wrong though. I will go and listen again this year if they are there as there are many devotees on here raving about them. 

Agree with jayctoy.  Take a look at Omega.  Wonderful sound and very efficient. Definitely give Louis a call or email.

Another single-driver possibility:

Caintuck Audio - Open Baffle Betsy. Very affordable.
http://www.caintuckaudio.com

They do need to be out in the room... well away from sides and wall behind to get the best sound. Not certain you can accommodate them in that regard though your overall room dimension is well-suited to them.

See also the Caintuck video at Decware.com
http://www.decware.com/newsite/Caintuck.html

Markr1 is audio buddy of mine, He used to have the Zu essence , they sound very good, He discovered Omega and He bought the Alnico model speakers, When I listen to this Alnico for two weeks, I can’t listen to my system , they are so musically transparent, with live like capability, Now He traded the his old Alnico single driver, to get the High Output Alnico, this are really very very good speakers...they schooled me though...He sold his Zu speakers as well...

If I remember correctly, the Klipsch Heresy IIIs and its Klipsch cousins in that price range are a bit light on the low end. Only go down to 50-55 hz or so.

Keep the Mystere’, IMO, that should be the anchor of your system, as you are.

I have had a pair of Zu Omen bookshelves for 2 years, and have run them with a pair of DIY Tube mono blocks that I built. They are a good design, but nothing groundbreaking, 40 watts, but the Zu’s sing like a bird with them.

I have NEVER heard anyone say that Zu’s are thin and veiled. Thats just silly sh*t. Check your amp, source, and cables, yo. You are bottlenecking your system somewhere in the chain before the signal gets to your Zu’s.

OP: the Zu’s are "designed around the human voice" and made for "live sound". Read their website? This just means that the SQ has a natural and real presentation.  Zu’s of course are crossover-less designs, so they are fast, nimble with excellent dynamics. But the midrange is gorgeous b/c of the "designs around the human voice" especially with the tubes. 

IMO, Zu’s were made for tubes, you will get an organic sound with very good soundstage. I also own a PrimaLuna HP Integrated, and of course PrimaLuna and Mystere are made by the same company, so I understand the sound you have. 

I would recommend the Dirty Weekends, they are one of the best deals in speaker audio. Run them with the Mystere, and I think you will have a smile on your face. :) 

Lastly, I recommend calling Kevin at Upscale Audio (he is part owner of PrimaLuna and Mystere, ya know?) and asking him to recommend an efficient speaker for your Mystere (which of course he also sells). 
Best

Zu is special  hate  and love product. Some say too harsh and thin,
Some is best product ever been made. 
I belong to first group 

Anyone buying Heresy IIIs should look around for a REL sub, as I've found these to match really well with these (and other) speakers, and in the last few years found a couple of great used RELs for a couple hundred bucks each. 

I heard the Zu's with jazz funk being played at a show, and they did not sound at all convincing to my ears. They were on the longer wall in the room at the show, so maybe not the best or Ideal position for them?. *If all you listen to is the human voice and Gregorian Chant then more power to your elbow.   *smiley face.........
Seriously though, well respected UK hi-fi reviewer Jimmy Hughes for
HI-Fi +?  reviewed them with great enthusiasm with a very complimentary review, he liked the Klipsch sub (12") woofer he was using to add musical depth with the III's also.....
I missed out on a local sale of a virtually new pair  of III's going for $1000.

I had some GoldenEar’s for awhile and you know what they were great speakers. I foolishly thought they weren’t audiophiley enough at the time. Meaning they just didn’t seem cool enough, dumb I know. But they imaged big, great tone on em. I listened to a lot of jazz with them. Should have tried to wring more out. 

After 2 of the OPs posts where he did not tell what his budget is, then scrolling through ALL the replies, I did not see anyone ask his budget ??????????

I didn't think it was necessary, because I was interested in Klipsch Heresy III or Zu Omen 2, and even Zu DW2. 

Thanks Fourwinds
GoldenEar looks nice but a bit lower efficiency than I wanted.

Jayctoy,
I've looked at Omegas, look interesting. Wonder how they sound compared to Zu?

I second jayctoy, omega speakers are very musical and would be a great choice! 

Mjc , the omega one driver are very very musical, transparent, very fast, To be honest the Zu essence are very good speakers, but I prefer the Alnico on Markr set up, Email him, He has more experience on both brand, I will try to get his attention to post in this thread..

+1 on the Omegas...  I'm with @jayctoy @ihor @jmolsberg recommending the Omega speakers, and the owner Louis C is fantastic to work with, bar none!

I've owned Klipsch Heresies for a few years, I've owned the Zu Essence for a couple of years as well and I've listened to Druids, but none of these sounded as good to my ears as the Omegas. I had a pair of the Super Alnico monitors, which I then traded up for the Super Alnico HO monitors, and I also still have a pair of the 3i. The Omegas are speakers that I have held onto for substantially longer than any other speakers in my system, and really not looking to change anytime soon.

What have my Omegas brought to the table compared to these others? As others have said, and IMO as well, they are extremely "musical", and have the naturalness, richness and necessary speed that consistently puts goosebumps on your body when you listen to well recorded performances, especially with voices, guitar, piano, strings, horns, etc.  They throw out a better holographic and dimensional soundstage where performers don't feel like flat cardboard cutouts, the instrument tonality is spot on, and detail is tremendous, without the glaring, etchy sound of the others. They also do pretty well with less than stellar recordings.  And in case you are wondering, even though they are boxes, they don't have a "boxy" sound to them.

I notice that the Omegas only get better as your upstream components get better, and yes, wires are a also a component IMO. That, my friends, is ultimate transparency; garbage in, garbage out!  BTW, I have to mention that I am a SET tube guy, and I prefer to power the Omegas with my 300b based Coincident monoblocks, but I have also gotten really good results with a class D Red Dragon S500 amp, as well as a First Watt F7 class A amp, both of which I owned as well.  

Now all this being said, 2 important points to realize: 1) if you are looking to rock out at high decibels with Metallica, you'd be much better off with the Klipsch or Zu speakers and 2) since I have monitors, I get awesome results with a subwoofer in the mix; I might get by without a sub, but it only adds to the enjoyment of the music by getting those lower octaves, even though I am not a bass hound.

Mjc, hope this helps, excellent post Mark, thank you..,,

Yes, excellent post by 1markr.  His description of what the Omegas bring to the table is spot on.  I have the Super Alnico Monitors coupled with a pair of older REL T5 subs and the sound is wonderful.  I get the occasional bug to maybe try something else, but whenever I audition another comparably-priced speaker, I continue to be amazed at how the Omegas sound and lose all impulses to try something different.  As an FYI, I selected the Omegas (counting on Louis's 30-day return policy) unheard over  Harbeth 30.1s that I home auditioned for a week.

@jayctoy  @ihor  Thanks guys!

@mjcmt   I wrote a lot up there, but ultimately, if glorious MUSIC is your #1 priority, then it's hard to go wrong with the Omegas; they connect me to the music and artists like no other I've tried. 

Ihor agree+1, the alnico are very very musical, you can get away with cheaper RS8 if you don’t have the budget for Alnico...

Thanks for all the feedback on the Omega’s w/ alnico magnet. Makes me wonder why I sold my Altec Lansing Model 15 a few years back w/ their bent horn and 12" alnico magnet woofer.

Here's a photo of them on the Great Plains website...don't know how it got there.
https://greatplainsaudio.com/altec-lansing-library/altec-lansing-model-15/

I've done many a stupid thing in the past and parting with this system about 4 years ago has to be at the top of the list.

jayctoy,
How would you compare the Omega Alnico with the Tekton Monitors?

mjcmt

If you're near Chicago there is a pair of the Zu's just listed on Audio Circle.

Lula since I own the tekton monitors, and my audio buddy Markr who own the HO Alnico, I do have a good feel on both speakers.Let me say both speakers are excellent if you set them correctly, You can’t go wrong either way, They are both musical, Alnico are more transparent and effortless , they love tubes amp, Tekton can go either way tubes or ss, On the dynamic side, I prefer the tekton not much, Remember the HO are at least 3k ,super alnico are $1700 my favorite speakers for the price, the Tekton monitor are $2200 , If you have good tube amp the Alnico will maybe better than the Tektons, the Alnico are very finesse and sound quality are superb than my Tekton...Both speakers are musical , it depends what is your musical choice and your budget.By the way the Tekton do also play complex music at ease because the 7 array design helps a lot...remember when you play the tekton monitor you have 18 drivers doing the job.

Omega speakers are very addictive speakers to listen....Iam a big fan of them, they have that live musicality, Omega also have a free 30 days audition , Lois is genius , just like Eric Alexander .

OP, so you assume e all know thee relative prices of those speakers? lol

Louis may not recommend the alnico, he suggested the rs5 for me. I have the 3xrs high output custom wide and they are truly astonishing. 

Omega speakers are very addictive speakers to listen....Iam a big fan of them, they have that live musicality, Omega also have a free 30 days audition , Lois is genius , just like Eric Alexander .

+1 .. very addictive indeed. I love my Super 3i's. I have them paired with a Decware SE84UFO. Those 2 WPC play loud enough and with enough finesse for me in my 13' x 18' listening space. Decware and Omega are a wonderful match.

Thanks jacks on the heads up. Used to live in Chicago 13 years ago. If I can find Zu listing I can see if my bro can pick up, but he's out of town a lot

One thing to be aware of, according to Great Plains Audiio, is alnico magnets loose some of their magnetism over time and need to be re- magnetized. At least it was ther claim on Altec speakers w alnico magnets. YMMV

Klipsch hybrid Cornscala or an Altec Model 19 would set your head
right where I think you want to be!! Hard to find but worth the wait!!
In your budget too!!

Those speakers are surely great ones to have, but they may be a little large for our living room and wife's acceptance.

Wtf omegas are exceptional on vynil as well.

Klipsch Quartet used awesome.

I know I'm late to this thread, but I wanted to second ghosthouse's recommendation regarding Caintuck Audio's Betsy. My speaker search started because of my need for high efficiency speakers. For critical listening I run a Transcendent Sound Mini Beast amp. A monster OTL 4 watts a side. Tho many might not feel it's necessary with the Betsy's, I've paired them with an Outlaw LS1 sub. The Betsy's are so reasonably priced, I sprang for the lacewood veneer upgrade to jack the farkle factor. Anyway, if my rig is any indicator, low powered tube amps mate very well with the Betsy. For giggles I wired up my .25 watt tube headphone amp to them...drove them nicely! And, my consumer level Harman/Kardon AVR, 75 watts a side, sounds quite honestly amazing with them. I chose the filter settings on my DAC that provides a slightly more emphasized top end. And if you feel they need any eq tweaking in your room, they respond very nicely to that as well. I also found their room placement requirements to be very forgiving. My 2 cents!