Low-sensitivity speakers — What's special about them?

timlub1,887 posts02-13-2020 7:59pmWhat it comes down to is... really good mids with any type of top end extension without cone break up is hard to find in true high sensitivity speakers


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I think AER and Voxativ has made some  advances in these issues  vs the earlier labs, attempts in high sens wide band drivers,  Lowther/Fostex. 

basically now its a contest between the best of xover traditional designs , Wilsons and the hih end wide band designs, AER and Voxativ. 

If we list the +'s/-'s of each speaker.
You'll find the xover traditional full range style will end up with more -'s in the tally of  specs/practicality/audiophile happiness.

hilde45 OP2,229 posts02-13-2020 5:55pm

I’ve not bought any power yet. Thanks for the replies. I understand the technical trade offs better, now. If one had the bass covered by a subwoofer, it seems there’s no positive, specifiable, aesthetic reason to prefer low sensitivity speakers. I think that captured every remark so far, no?


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Yes EXACTLY

If one has a Scanspeak super woofer (retails at $500-$1500 EACH!!!) then you already have all the bass your dreams could ever dream.
There 100% pure rock solid bass, Done
Now we move on to 800hz-15k hz range
Here is where higher sensitivity speakers shine in all the glory over the muddling lower sensitivity speakers,
This is the range where the battle gets gutsy.
Higher sensitivity wide bansd will out shoot xover designs every time. well lets limit the highs, to say 10k, Although if you ck AER’s web site, they claim
80khz. top end, which we all know the ultimate top end is 15khz, and really there is not much above 10khz.
My tech geek mentioned we want a certain **ambience** to be present in the 12k-15k range, sort of like a sparkle and shimmering on cymbols and other percussion. , Piano’ high notes and such.
But I have no idea on how the new wide band’s voice the 12k=15k range.
The earlier designs had roll offs.
I am waiting to order a pair as i type. the newer wide bands that is,

So back to your point
Exactly, If one has a Scanspeak Super Woofer acting as sub,
There really is not need to use a  xover design traditional speaker for the 1k-10k range.
This range under lower sensivity speakers sound like a  wet blanket has been thrown over the front. 
vs the live soundstage of a newhigh tech wide band.
If you purchase a  wide band and you feel the low bass is a  bit thin, well go ahead and get a  super Scanspeak Woofer for extra bass. 
Bass that will beat out Wilsons' higher end  speakers.

QUESTION: What is the value in low sensitivity speakers? What do they do for your system or listening experience which make them worth the cost and effort to drive them? Has anyone run the gamut from high to low and wound up with low for a reason?

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I sure wish I had UNDERSTOOD 
These Q's way back when
And after grasping this high sensitivity vs low sensitivity issue, 
Made some honest answers to MYSELF IN all honesty. 
Its kind of like Jimi Hendrix's 
*Have you EVER been experienced?
WEll I have*

Most audiophiles do not understand what a  higher sensitity wide band driver is, does/how it works/how it sounds.
Second, they have noo interest to understand, NOR ask any Q's. 

Your Q's  show your ~~puzzle-ment~~ over how folks can continue down the xover/lower sensitivity path to musical reproduction. 
No doubt over the comming decades as new audiophiles enter this hobby, they will be asking more Q's , wider interest in whats avaliable Before they make a  purchase. 
Xover/lower sensitivity designs  sales will take a  hit, Most  labs will not survive the economic downturn. 

mrdecibel2,476 posts02-13-2020 8:01pmEvery speaker, to some extent, makes some trade offs, and, at all price points, imo. The thing is, as a listener, we need to determine, what musical parameters of recorded music, are most desirable to each of us. And as explained above, the speaker / amp / room combination, should be matched as close as possible, to work together. Someone above, although appreciating the efficiency of horns, prefers other things. I, on the other hand, prefer horns, and the efficiency, is simply, icing on the cake. Advice : Take you time, and listen to as much gear as you can. Also, go listen to some live, " un-amplified " music, as this will give you an indication, as what to listen for, in audio gear ( speakers, specifically ). My best, and Enjoy ! MrD.


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Great insight, assessment.
Price point/budget constraints.
Going to live musica events, then go back  lsiten to ones speakers,
= Higher sensitivity = near as live as you are going to get. 
I madea  experiement
One channel Seas Thors, with Mundorf Silver Gold caps
Other channel
cheap chinese full range 6 inch. 
The winner, cheap single chinese 1/2 full range (lows/highs rolled off)
Judging midrange only as thats all this cheap chinese 1/2 full range could pull off, Specs claim 91db, about right.
Seas Thors 87db. sounded likea  wet blanket was thrown over them. 
Next minute ripped the brand new Millennium's out the Thors , placed them on Ebay at 60% off my debt of $700 sold in 2 hours. Free shipping.
Never will ever consider low sens drivers for my 1khz-10khz range.
can't, My classical music demands at least 92db. 
For low bass 30hz-800hz, yeah OK midwoofer/Mundorf caps, = doable. 
But I'm expecting the new high tech wide band to take care of the lower fq's. 
Won;'t know til I order a  pair. 

That advice — get a more efficient speaker — makes sense to me, but before I just twist with every opinion I come across (I'm a newbie, so I'm pathetically suggestible), I'd like to hear the other side. Viz.,

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Look the reason you seem to be a  bit skeptical about going towards the high sensitity speakers, is all due to 50 years of marketing ploys from The Industry.
Likea carrot ona stick we were all led down that path,, 
Look at homw many xover designs came out in the past 50 years, 
Hundreds. 
The odds of us ever comming across a  good quality high sensitivity speaker were  slim to none. 
All the audio shops jhad the box xover designs.
It too me 20 yrs to figure out that maybe xover low efficiency was not voicing my clasdsical music the wauy I REALLY wantedd to hear it. 
And so after some hesitations, I FINALLY began ordering several cheap chinese wide band speakers. 
After 4 months experiementations, pay off was nice.
It occured to me to jump  the xover ship forever.
Its takes some curiosity and guts to make this ship jumping.

I'm glad I do not ever again have to hear my classical througha  xover./low efficient speaker ever again. Its like my music is playing for the very 1st time via a  higher (91db) full range 4 inch cheapo chinese speaker. $20/pair, And you get what you pay for, = Not worth 1 cent more than $200 = Avoid all chinese full range = trash. 

Its easy to have a very efficient speaker. Just skimp on the bass extension. Most cheap speakers with limited bass extension are very efficient. THey have to be much larger to bee both efficient and have good quality extended bass.

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Thing is the real orchestral music kicks in at 160hz. 
Why the need for 20hz-40hz?? 
But we will soon find out what kind of bass a  wide really has.
2 weeks mine will be up N running.
The wide band will be going aginst dual  Seas W18's/per channel. 

johnk1,596 posts07-14-2021 10:37amLow-sensitivity some design for such have complex networks or need a small size. But in general, it means cheap low-powered magnets undersized transducers, and cabinets. It means the loudspeaker and owner of such has to purchase a massive power amplifier thus putting that speaker's cost savings back on the owner since now his amp costs more is larger and uses more energy. It also means thermal compression in most designs since amps heating VC.

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~~Smack Down~~~~One  punch knock out

I just tried  this  just today with my Defy 7 100 watt amp, The more I pushed the  gain, the less I got out the 87/91db speaker = distortion, coloration/unlistenable. 

 I'm aware manufacturers usually cater to the majority of buyers,

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Popular vote always wins, But may not necessarily be the vote for the higher fidelity speaker.

If you read through Agon's speaker posts, rarely if ever db sensitivity comes up.

I just recently made the db sesnitivity discovery  late 2020.
After makinga  trial experiement with one of these ~~odd/unusual/off the beaten path** strange 
Wide band/full range.
I1st initial recation,, wow, these things may have some potential for the midrange I;'m looking for my classical music.
Order a  bunch more others, til I finally 1 year later hit on the one I liked,, 

High sensitivity was like a  revelation. 
I recall folks back in the 2004 era, suggesting wide bands/full range/point source, require a  SET amp. 
Or lets say ideally.
Which may be partly true.
This  suggestion prevented me from seeking further into these designs.

Perhaps some of Voxativ and AER's super high sensitivity speakers almost demand SET's. 94-100db

The 2 WBers I know are well design , have 92db sensitivity and  so most PP amps will work out fine.
At say 96db sensitivity WBer,,  there is  a  issue attempting to power with either of my PP amps.