Pass....Accuphase....or......

@southofdallas This is exactly why its a good idea to use speakers that are easy to drive. You don't have to sacrifice any resolution to have easy to drive speakers. Lower efficiency speakers tend to have something called 'thermal compression' which is caused by heating of the voice coils. The higher the efficiency of the speaker the less compression you get.

When a slightly lower power amp is driving higher efficiency/easy to drive speakers you find you can get the same effortless quality.

I always associated 'air' with ease and space in the highs. I've not heard of it used in the context that you do; probably a topic for another thread. 

@atmasphere "I always associated 'air' with ease and space in the highs. I've not heard of it used in the context that you do; probably a topic for another thread. "

Pretend yo are in the Berliner Philharmonic concert hall....you listen to a big orchestra playing very powerful music, the volume is high but never compressed, it is just floating around (not only the highs). No speakers in this world can do that but our ears together with our brain can let us imagine that we are there when we listen at home. Nice.... 

Well, I do like the sound of my 89dB speakers so they stay for now.

@southofdallas  Thanks!

I don't know that hall but I've played in a number of them here in Minnesota (bass in several orchestras so O'Shaughnessy, Orchestra Hall and the Ordway). I know what you're talking about but I'd never have thought to call that 'air'.

@atmasphere What do you call that in Hi-End audio language then ....if I may ask? Space? Spaciousness? Scale? .....

@southofdallas I've recorded stuff in the same halls I've played in. You get a sense of the hall and I wanted that in the recording. Each hall has a different sound to it so I describe that as the ambient signature. So yes, the ability to express that seems to fit with those terms (space, scale, spaciousness).