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What's more important, speaker efficiency or big power amps.

I'd guess that few here who champion high power have ever heard a flea watt SET amp driving high efficiency speakers.

I've visited many boutique audio stores yet have never seen that combination on display or for sale. Wonder why? Most of what I see are massive high power amps feeding huge inefficient panels.

My faulty assumption that "more is better" lead me to 84 db Aerials powered by a 150 watt Classe amp. Sold both when I discovered the low watt SET/HE alternative and I've never looked back.
 
TubeHiFiNut said:
Thank you for clarifying. One of the shortcomings of this form of communication is that we do not have the advantage of visual cues or the ability to clarify things real time.
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Not real time, but using threaded or hybrid view of the forum allows one to see who replied to whom. It does, however, rely on all posters to use the reply button on the post they're replying to, not the reply button in the last post in the flat/cronological view.
 
Poultrygeist said:
I'd guess that few here who champion high power have ever heard a flea watt SET amp driving high efficiency speakers.
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Please, don't include myself in the list. Some of my friends got nice SET systems that I don't enjoy (I'm not disputing that the sound is beautiful but rather its matching to what I hear in concert music). People have different tastes, and also listen to different kinds of music. So, one must assume that everybody is honest and tells the truth and that there is not an absolute preference for everybody, as yet another face of human complexity.
 
similost said:
The correct answer is big efficient speakers and big amps..

You can't go wrong..
.
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Yeah, that works too. And quite a few people do it too. I probably have as much experience with horns in the home as anyone around here and I don't buy into the "horns need tubes" dogma some people spread around like dung.
 
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guiller said:
Please, don't include myself in the list. Some of my friends got nice SET systems that I don't enjoy (I'm not disputing that the sound is beautiful but rather its matching to what I hear in concert music). People have different tastes, and also listen to different kinds of music. So, one must assume that everybody is honest and tells the truth and that there is not an absolute preference for everybody, as yet another face of human complexity.
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I use high power amps for OB woofers but only a SET amp for the HE mids/ highs. Dynamic swings and complexities of symphony orchestral music are easily handled by this F.A.S.T. approach.
 
Tom Brennan said:
Yeah, that works too. And quite a few people do it too. I probably have as much experience with horns in the home as anyone around here and I don't buy into the "horns need tubes" dogma some people spread around like dung.
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It all boils down to your listening biases and preferences.

Personally, I prefer tubes (SET or PP as apprpriate) but have certainly used solid state amps when, to my ears, they were the best choice.

Not dogma or dung, just what sounds best to MY ears. YMMV. :D
 
A FAST system or "Fullrange ASsisTed" gives the best of both worlds. Power where needed in reproducing LF but with the resolution of SET driven HE full range drivers for the mids/highs.
 
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TubeHiFiNut said:
My amp of choice for the CLS is an ARC D-160 running KT-90 tubes in triode. VERY sweet and really complements the CLS. The CLS/D-160 Triode combo will not play that loud but talk about clarity, dynamics, etc. WOW.
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I feel the same way about the MB-450s.

As for Audio Research, I use an SP20 preamplifier in the main system and an SP9 MKIII in the garage.
 
Poultrygeist said:
I use high power amps for OB woofers but only a SET amp for the HE mids/ highs. Dynamic swings and complexities of symphony orchestral music are easily handled by this F.A.S.T. approach.
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OK, that is something I never tried and understand that this approach deserves attention and exploration. I ´ve listened to small powered SET amplifiers with full range very efficient speakers only (a setting that I find very attractive for soft vocal music, but lacking for, e.g., a piano trio).
 
Originally Posted by similost View Post

The correct answer is big efficient speakers and big amps..

You can't go wrong..

85db.. pffffft......
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I do not buy into big efficient speakers and big amps. You need to factor in your room dimensions. What works in a small room may not work in a big room.

Both pair of my speakers are efficient at 90dB. I have a solid state integrated amp at 58wpc and a tube integrated amp at 25wpc. Both are serving my needs wonderfully.

In my case... Less is more! :music:
 
4Play said:
I do not buy into big efficient speakers and big amps. You need to factor in your room dimensions. What works in a small room may not work in a big room.

Both pair of my speakers are efficient at 90dB. I have a solid state integrated amp at 58wpc and a tube integrated amp at 25wpc. Both are serving my needs wonderfully.

In my case... Less is more! :music:
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And in most other cases, more is more better...

Several around here can tell you I'm good at stuffing big highly efficient speakers in a room connected to lots-a-power amps.... and if you don't go getting way too crazy with the volume, it can sound petty amazing...

And this was just the beginning.. .

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I like both as well. Some hi-res recordings have INSANE dynamics so you need both if you like realistic levels occasionally AND low distortion. The third magic ingredient is no close neighbors.
 
According to my sig..well you see and my elderly,deaf,loving neighbors watch our house like hawks while my wife and are not home.I like low to rock concert levels.250w per chanel amp 250-1000w peak speakers @ an alleged 101 ef.
 
I pretty much agree with the OP. I listen at pretty moderate levels, so I tend to favors efficient-esque speakers. I don't own any speakers with a driver bigger than 6.5".

Loud *and* clean/musical is what takes the real money and effort.
 
guiller said:
OK, that is something I never tried and understand that this approach deserves attention and exploration. I ´ve listened to small powered SET amplifiers with full range very efficient speakers only (a setting that I find very attractive for soft vocal music, but lacking for, e.g., a piano trio).
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Even with 12+" drivers in oversized cabs?
 
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