Speaker sensitivity vs SQ


My first thread at AG.

Millercarbon continues to bleat on about the benefits of high sensitivity speakers in not requiring big amplifier watts.
After all, it's true big amplifiers cost big money.  If there were no other factors, he would of course be quite right.

So there must be other factors.  Why don't all speaker manufacturers build exclusively high sensitivity speakers?
In a simple world it ought to be a no-brainer for them to maximise their sales revenue by appealing to a wider market.

But many don't.  And in their specs most are prepared to over-estimate the sensitivity of their speakers, by up to 3-4dB in many cases, in order to encourage purchasers.  Why do they do it?

There must be a problem.  The one that comes to mind is sound quality.  It may be that high sensitivity speakers have inherently poorer sound quality than low sensitivity speakers.  It may be they are more difficult to engineer for high SQ.  There may be aspects of SQ they don't do well.

So what is it please?

128x128clearthinker
There are a lot of examples when amplifier has mixed SE and PP stages.
For example some SET amplifiers have first stage SRPP and PP amplifiers have SE first stage before phase spliter.
Another example - SE preamp and PP amplifiers.
Do all these amplithis have a prominent 5th harmonic in addition to a 2nd and a 3rd ?
In P-P amps what is concerning is what circuits are in the feedback loop. They will affect which harmonics have more prominence. IOW the topology affects the distortion signature. IMO a single-ended preamp can work alright with a balanced amp, but I'm not sure that is what you are asking as P-P amps cover quite a range of circuits!
Large size costs more in all ways more to build, ship, store more materials used more finish applied. It's just the way it is. Size is one of the most costly parts of horns.
Quad 57's still sound more like real music than most of today's overpriced offerings! I own two pairs! 
And still a formidable contender in the small box category is the BBC LS3/5A! I have a pair of Rogers 11 ohm's. 
a systems engineering approach should always compare the output with the input, including impulse response. Sure a hyper well executed high efficiency driver using best available materials, engineering, machining, etc are expensive. I think any reputable end speaker company designing own drivers, even semi custom w Scanspeak, are similar $$$$$. Some of those take into consideration that output is not a measure of quality.

I also believe, no designer should ignore ear brain. Many just sell distortion we like. Flavorizers.....

sure, the holy grail is low mass, breakup far from the passband, pistonic, with super high strength motors and high duty cycle....nothing has changed....

also, as an ESL owner, I think about the sonic impact of transformers and edge clamping distortion as well as energy storage in the panel....ain’t no free lunch

glad the conversation has returned to civility....