Hi Nate.
You know which speakers I use.
It's the Lowther EX3 drivers in a pair of modified Voigt Pipe cabinets.
There is a "synergy" involved with SET amps and single-driver loudspeaker systems. They work very well together.
In most cases, there is a "race to the bottom" in SET amps, where enthusiasts move lower and lower in output power, in order to get better and better sound. As a general rule, the lower the power, the better the sound, but this can be taken too far, and I wouldn't recommend using less than a 2 watt per channel 45 amp like I have. Even that is getting on the ragged edge of being too low.
Single driver systems have no crossover in them, and are not subjected to the power losses(and other problems) associated with passive crossovers, so their efficiency levels remain high. They also have the advantage of being "direct driven" by the amp(with no intervening circuitry), just like an "active system" would be.
The disadvantages are that most single-driver systems are limited in bass response, compared to most "normal" multi-driver systems. Some people use powered subwoofers to fill in this lowest octave, and some just do without the bottom octave. You can go either way. Integrating most subs with a very fast and transparent mains speaker, generally will have a "seam" at best, and could be aggravating at worst. Depends on what is important to you, and where you can make your compromises.
Call me before you make a move in this direction, because it can be frought with peril, and there is little room for error. By all means, make sure that you get a SET amp with the best output transformers that money can buy, or else use a Berning ZOTL model(like the Siegfried). This is critical to not having the high-end rolloffs and bass bloat that many think of when talking about SET amps. If you get a good amp with a good output transformer, the "golden midrange" will not be limited to just the midrange, but will extend all the way out on both ends.
This is a type of system that is very simple, yet very complex at the same time. It is so simple, that every single facet of the system becomes highly critical to the overall sound. The individual judgment and selection of these things will play a huge role in the success or failure of the system. And since these systems are so incredibly detailed and ruthlessly revealing, there is very little room for error. But, if you get everything right, there are few systems that can match it for a lifelike quality of sound.
You know which speakers I use.
It's the Lowther EX3 drivers in a pair of modified Voigt Pipe cabinets.
There is a "synergy" involved with SET amps and single-driver loudspeaker systems. They work very well together.
In most cases, there is a "race to the bottom" in SET amps, where enthusiasts move lower and lower in output power, in order to get better and better sound. As a general rule, the lower the power, the better the sound, but this can be taken too far, and I wouldn't recommend using less than a 2 watt per channel 45 amp like I have. Even that is getting on the ragged edge of being too low.
Single driver systems have no crossover in them, and are not subjected to the power losses(and other problems) associated with passive crossovers, so their efficiency levels remain high. They also have the advantage of being "direct driven" by the amp(with no intervening circuitry), just like an "active system" would be.
The disadvantages are that most single-driver systems are limited in bass response, compared to most "normal" multi-driver systems. Some people use powered subwoofers to fill in this lowest octave, and some just do without the bottom octave. You can go either way. Integrating most subs with a very fast and transparent mains speaker, generally will have a "seam" at best, and could be aggravating at worst. Depends on what is important to you, and where you can make your compromises.
Call me before you make a move in this direction, because it can be frought with peril, and there is little room for error. By all means, make sure that you get a SET amp with the best output transformers that money can buy, or else use a Berning ZOTL model(like the Siegfried). This is critical to not having the high-end rolloffs and bass bloat that many think of when talking about SET amps. If you get a good amp with a good output transformer, the "golden midrange" will not be limited to just the midrange, but will extend all the way out on both ends.
This is a type of system that is very simple, yet very complex at the same time. It is so simple, that every single facet of the system becomes highly critical to the overall sound. The individual judgment and selection of these things will play a huge role in the success or failure of the system. And since these systems are so incredibly detailed and ruthlessly revealing, there is very little room for error. But, if you get everything right, there are few systems that can match it for a lifelike quality of sound.