Loudspeaker sensitivity and dynamics: are the two inexorably linked?


Have been listening to quite a few speakers lately, and increasingly I've noticed that more sensitive speakers tend to have better microdyanmics - the sense that the sound is more "alive" or more like the real thing.

The speakers involved include my own Magico A5's, Joseph Audio Pulsar 2's, and  Wilson Watt/Puppy 7's, as well as others including the Magico M3, Wilson Alexia V, various Sonus Faber's, Magnepan's,  Borressen's, and Rockport models (Cygnus and Avior II).

A recent visit to High Water Sound in NYC topped the cake though: proprietor and vinyl guru Jeff Catalano showed off a pair of Cessaro horns (Opus One) that literally blew our minds (with a few listening buddies).  The Cessaro's sensitivity is rated at 97 db, highest among the aforementioned models.  That system was very close to live performance - and leads to the topic.

I'm not referring to maximum loudness or volume, rather that the music sounds less reproduced and more that the instrumentation and vocals are more real sounding through higher sensitivity speakers.

Is this a real phenomenon?  Or is it more the particular gear I've experienced?

Thoughts?

bobbydd

Showing 2 responses by james633

Speakers are just motors and should be treated like motors, but there are a few things at play. 
 

#1 power to weight of the amp/cone is key. Resistance of the drivers play into the power equation as does box size.

#2 air cupping of the driver. Larger drivers (or multiple) move more air with less distance traveled making them reach their peak throw need for a given SPL much easier. Also direct radiating tweeters are 2% efficient as they cut through the air where a good horn is 20% efficient as it has air more or less pressure loaded in front of the driver. 
 

#3. This one is just a guess as I am not sure. I think dispersion matters too. I think narrow dispersion speakers tend to be more dynamic all things being equal (sensitivity, surface area, etc.). Say a wide and narrow speaker of the same efficiency are given one watt instantly. The wide dispersion speaker dumps that energy into the room more than the narrow dispersion speaker. The narrow has more intensity on the leading edge of the sound. Think of a flash light with a focused lens vs no lens at all. Straight on the one with the lens is much brighter while the total brightness of the room when averaged in the same for both. Again just a theory.

Bobbyd,

“I'm not referring to maximum loudness or volume, rather that the music sounds less reproduced and more that the instrumentation and vocals are more real sounding through higher sensitivity speakers.”


this is my exact experience when moving to horns. I don’t see myself going back as I have learned that dynamics is what I was missing.