Cube Audio Nenuphar Single Driver Speaker (10 inch) TQWT Enclosure

Built at least 100 full-range driver speakers. While I do prefer multiway horns with compression drivers a true full-range in proper cabinets has a certain something that's hard to ignore. What I use now is a pair of ultra-rare Fostex fe208 sol special editions in massive bottom-firing blh these can play pipe organ with authority and have bass tested to 30hz. It's wonderful having true full-range performance out of 1 driver. Not a weak thin sound like many full-range systems produce. But the ability to play any music type inc bass-heavy at loud SPL levels without breakup. This is something that eludes most all full-range driver loudspeakers.

Not a weak thin sound like many full-range systems produce. But the ability to play any music type inc bass-heavy at loud SPL levels without breakup. This is something that eludes most all full-range driver loudspeakers.

This would explain the universal satisfaction and happiness of Cube Audio Nenuphar owners. As they (Nenuphars)  successfully conquered these pervasive shortcomings of many single driver /full range designs.

Charles

@charles1dad Re: why the drastic change in direction from my Thiel rig, great question. Part of it is the old “been there done that” idiom. Having spent over 20 years with the CS5i’s (which initially were challenging to please), I feel as though I reached somewhat of a pinnacle with that system, at least within my financial means. Newer high-power SS gear has become very pricey. Second, during 20+ years of continuous improvement with the Thiel system, I never could get the speakers to “wake up” at low (or even moderately conservative) volume. On balance, they did achieve a pretty awesome result IMO when listening at higher volume. Lastly, I have always longed to experience the wetter and more harmonically natural tube sound. The CS5i’s are 87 db efficient and dip to nearly 2 ohms in the lower frequencies. Amp killer. I never felt tube amplifiers were viable with them (although I remain convinced that they would benefit greatly from what good tubes bring sonically). I must say I never experienced reliability issues with robust SS amplifiers (Krell and early-gen Classe Audio). As an aside, I clearly recall listening (alone) in just my underwear when I had the Class A-biased Krell FPB 600c in the rig due to the incredible heat that amp generates.

Hopefully the NAT Audio integrated will soon be healthy to begin my tube journey. In the meantime, the SIT-2, being a known entity with the Nenuphars, should provide me with a baseline to ground my exploration into tubes driving the V2’s.

One of the reasons I prefer the compression driver front horn design over the full range is the ability to play at very low levels while still sounding articulate and powerful. The full ranges still are better than most low eff dynamic designs in their ability to sound good at low levels. If wanting low power amplification with all its benefits but its limits in output a full range or horn or both can really produce synergy with such. After all, it's a system we listen to and synergy is the goal.

@johnk “After all, it's a system we listen to and synergy is the goal.” 
 

Very true.