What is your take on high efficient speakers vs. low efficient speakers?


Consider both designs are done right and your other equipment is well matched with the speakers.  Do you have any preference when it comes to sound quality?  Is it matter of economic decision when it comes to price? - power amps can become very expensive when power goes up, on the other hand large,  efficient speakers are expensive as well.  Is your decision based on room size?  I'd love to hear from you on the subject. 

128x128tannoy56

It's rather like comparing cars, once accompanied a friend with his 5 litre V8 to a track day. He was whopped all day by a couple of 1.8 litre Lotus, on a straight track the Lotus loses on proper race track there the V8 loses. Which experience do you want?

 

No need to agonise like this.  It is all personal choice.  Don't worry about efficiency.  Get the speakers you like.

If they are low efficiency then you will listen at lower volume or buy bigger amps.

Simple as that.

Klipschorns & properly matched, flea watt tube amplification in a room designed specifically for them…vs….Apogee Scintillas with no compromise amplification in a tailor made listening environment

all source components identical

How I would love to spend a week comparing those high vs low efficiency systems!

 

@lg1 You’ll need almost a full month in order to evaluate the speakers. The human brain can be very tricky and deceiving in the short term. 

To my ears high efficiency speakers have an agility and realism not present in low efficiency speakers. Agree that lots of time needed to sort out the sound, listening tests are hard.