Efficient speakers -- What was your journey from A to B to ?

I’m running two amps (Pass Aleph 0s and Audio Note 300B). I have tried 2 models, Zu Soul Supremes which I found fatiguing (shrill, bright, glassy?) after a brief honeymoon period and Audio Note AN-J/LX which I am currently running and which I love. The right mix of detail, warmth, fullness, richness, realism for me and they have scaled surprisingly well with every upgrade I have made to my sources. 
 

I purchased most of my system used, so investment amounts are somewhat misleading, but at this point the speakers are probably only 10% of my total system cost (analog and digital sources). And yet they don’t feel like a bottleneck but rather bring out every upgrade to the sources. 

@benanders wrote:

Consider speaker design category (e.g. in your mention - K-horns) not just brand. Format of the driver arrangements can be a good predictor of efficiency, and past that it will matter if you like the way a given speaker model sounds.

+1

@hilde45 --

My "journey" in the high efficiency element of speakers has had the focus of maintaining good power response ("energy coherency"/dispersion pattern matching) at the crossover region from horn- or waveguide hybrid solutions, as well as the advantages offered from all-horn speakers. Main goal through it all, apart from other traits of high efficiency: better coherency via a more range uniform speaker-room interaction, and ultimately also less interference from the acoustic environment.

The important thing with all-horns and the very high efficiency they offer is trying to achieve proper size of the horns to actually have them act like horns in the entire frequency region they cover. This is not trivial for a variety of reasons, and when achieved will give the better outset to work from with this design choice. If size is an issue, and it usually is, a horn- or waveguide hybrid solution (i.e.: in conjunction with a direct radiating element) can be the preferred route, but here as well it is important to have proper dispersion pattern match at the crossover(s) for aided coherency, and depending on the overall physical stature of the speakers (and goals wrt. limiting and controlling overall dispersive nature) this can lead to quite large speakers.

Initially my going towards the high efficiency segment of speakers came from wanting to avoid dome tweeters to achieve better power response and overall coherency. Waveguide-fitted Amphion speakers were tried out, then S.P. Technology speakers (also waveguide), hORNS (w/OSWG waveguide), and ultimately very high efficiency all-horn speakers from Simon Mears to what I have now: a combination of large format mids/tweeter horns with large direct radiating woofer/mids and tapped horn-loaded subs. My ultimate goal would be ending up with a properly sized all-horn solution eventually.

As for speaker recommendation, this is more difficult to assess in relation to your taste and speaker history, not that your purchase history here should necessarily be any indication for what’s to come onwards. However I’m thinking used JBL K2 S9800(SE), which are very good speakers, or used JBL M2’s actively configured. For all-horns you could try out used Klipsch K-horns, which can be retrofitted with better mids and tweeter horn + drivers and crossover from Greg Roberts of Volti Audio. This would also make the use of lower powered amps more obvious with the K-horns’ very high eff. The JBL’s ideally should be fed with more power, I find, but here you could try out bi-amping and different amp combinations. The latest iteration Klipsch Cornwall speakers are popular. Oh, well - the list is long..

I have had the gamut of speakers including magnepan, von schweikert, Wilson, and a host of others. Around 2013 a friend of mine brought over an early pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers. Like a crack dealer on the corner, he got me hooked.

I immediately sought out a pair of Cornwall II speakers which were about a two hour drive away. This put me on a path to horns. I strayed away a couple of times, but came back. Here is the list of what I would call high efficiency that I have owned.

Klipsch Cornwall II

Crites Cornscala C

GR Research Super V (around 95 db)

Klipsch Forte III

Klipschorn

Spatial Audio X3 (96 db)

Klipsch Cornwall IV

Klipsch Lascala II

I have landed with the LS II and an Aric Audio Super 300B SET. Once you get your system dialed in and speakers positioned in the room correctly, all those horn nasties that people go on and on about just disappear. I can’t see myself going back to speakers that require an arc welder to drive. Just something about the dynamics of high sensitivity speakers and the way they let the music flow into the room.

Be advised that even though the X3 from Spatial Audio is 96 db, I found that I could NOT drive it with the amp I had at the time, a Decware Torii II. Once I got into the 50-100 watt range, the speakers sounded pretty good. But the Decware (at 20 wpc) could not do it.

@perkadin 
Thanks for your reply. Zu being raucous is what I've heard -- and for some, that works well. I need something which avoids "raucous." I've heard others describe Forte as the sweet spot. Good to get confirmation from you.

@larryi 
Thanks for the Charney Audio and Songer Audio mentions. They're not names I've heard much but I'll research them.

@ditusa Thanks for the JBL link.

@shkong78  I'd like to go to Axpona. Good idea.

@benanders  Good point about design as a primary criterion. I've heard one GR research line array powered by a 245 amp and it was pretty magical (had open baffle bass drivers, too).

@phildebrandt  A local dealer just started carrying Audio Note. I hope to hear them. Zu is really not a likely choice. I am hoping, as you say, to bring out the quality I've invested in amps and sources.

@phusis 

Main goal through it all, apart from other traits of high efficiency: better coherency via a more range uniform speaker-room interaction, and ultimately also less interference from the acoustic environment.

Very well put. That captures what I expect I'm seeking, too. I am hoping NOT to wind up with huge speakers. Your description of your journey is very helpful and gives me a lot to think about and research. Part of my current challenge is timing these trials -- I'm moving my audio from one room into another and the dimensions of the room will factor in. Both rooms are medium-large, I'd say. 

@ozzy62 

Thanks for your comments. Quite the journey! This stood out for me: "I can’t see myself going back to speakers that require an arc welder to drive. Just something about the dynamics of high sensitivity speakers and the way they let the music flow into the room."

Just my two bits. I’ve owned many traditional speakers, drivers in box, ported and sealed. Rogers, Mission, TDL, NHT, Tyler.. I enjoyed all of them. They have been mostly polite, natural and neutral sounding. Wanting some more impact and dynamics I started looking into horn loaded designs. My first stop was a new pair of Klipsch Heresy IV’s. They were great, what I’d been looking for. Dynamic and engaging, not polite.. I really felt pulled in. Of course I did get the upgrade bug so I listened to the Forte and Cornwall, very nice speakers, but I didn’t feel I was getting a significant improvement over my Heresy’s. I kept them.. Then I was recommended to look into Volti by an AG member and friend. When I heard the Volti Razz it was like a veil was lifted. I was hearing the most incredible midrange and upper bass I had ever heard from a home speaker. Detailed and dynamic, beautiful open sound stage I just had to have them. To me the Heresy’s sounded thin, missing that fully formed midrange, same when I took a listen at a dealer with the Forte.

When I picked up my ordered Razz from Greg Roberts, he really went out of his way to explain his careful process of choosing drivers and designing his cabinets. Using a simple demo of a 2" throated horn he showed me the light. Easy to drive with just about anything. I have a Margules ACRH3 and Cary SLI80 HS i swap in and out along with my rusty trusty Mac240. The Razz showcases each amp’s character as well as it’s own. Only way I would upgrade these would be for a new pair of Volti Rival’s or if I won the lotto, the Vittora.

BTW I am going to own another pair of the Heresy's, they really were a fun pair of speakers,  there's just something about them that's hard to put into words. 

FYI Greg will be at the Fla Audio Expo, if you go, you can compare the Volti sound with several others.. just saying