This, Maria, can be a proverbial can of worms, but here goes...
Regarding speakers, 'high-sensitivity' MIGHT be defined as anything at or above 93dB, but there's NO concensus here. As the 'typical' or 'average' speaker is rated around 90, I figure a system requiring half the power for the same output is high in sensitivity. 'High-sensitivity' goes WAY beyond that, however; speaker systems intended for home use with sensitivities approaching 110dB are not uncommon.
The higher the sensitivity, the less power the system needs for a given acoustical output. IF, and it's a BIG 'IF', an average system uses 90dB speakers and 100 Watts per channel and fills a room to satisfying levels, then with 93dB speakers one would need only 50 Watts, and with 96dB speakers only 25 Watts, and with 99dB speakers 13 Watts, etc.
An individual's need for loudness and dynamic 'liveness', and the room volume, are important factors in this complex issue. I'm using 97dB-sensitive speakers with 2.5WPC SETs on the midrange and am getting highly satisfying loudness and dynamics in a largish (3200CF) room while playing large-scale orchestral music. Yet some dideebopper may determine that my system doesn't get NEARLY loud enough since his ears aren't yet bleeding.
Perhaps a rule of thumb might be that if you want to use single-digit-power SETs, you'll need speaker sensitivity at least approaching 100dB.
I expect others will add more to this discussion.
.
Regarding speakers, 'high-sensitivity' MIGHT be defined as anything at or above 93dB, but there's NO concensus here. As the 'typical' or 'average' speaker is rated around 90, I figure a system requiring half the power for the same output is high in sensitivity. 'High-sensitivity' goes WAY beyond that, however; speaker systems intended for home use with sensitivities approaching 110dB are not uncommon.
The higher the sensitivity, the less power the system needs for a given acoustical output. IF, and it's a BIG 'IF', an average system uses 90dB speakers and 100 Watts per channel and fills a room to satisfying levels, then with 93dB speakers one would need only 50 Watts, and with 96dB speakers only 25 Watts, and with 99dB speakers 13 Watts, etc.
An individual's need for loudness and dynamic 'liveness', and the room volume, are important factors in this complex issue. I'm using 97dB-sensitive speakers with 2.5WPC SETs on the midrange and am getting highly satisfying loudness and dynamics in a largish (3200CF) room while playing large-scale orchestral music. Yet some dideebopper may determine that my system doesn't get NEARLY loud enough since his ears aren't yet bleeding.
Perhaps a rule of thumb might be that if you want to use single-digit-power SETs, you'll need speaker sensitivity at least approaching 100dB.
I expect others will add more to this discussion.
.