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"efficient" speakers

post #1 of 19
2/17/07 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
what makes a speaker efficient? i'm getting a dared mp-5 soon and i plan to buy a pair of speakers for it. i haven't decided how much i'm gonna spend on them. if anybody has any experiences with these kind of speakers, let me know. thanks.
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post #2 of 19
2/17/07 at 4:28pm
high sensitivity *AND* easy to drive. basically you'll want to look at impedance and SPL (db/w.m) of potential speakers. 8 ohm and more than 90-100db(depends who you ask ; I'd say at least 93db) is highly efficient
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post #3 of 19
2/17/07 at 5:35pm
It'll entirely depend on the size of your room and how loud you like to listen.

I'm often amazed by audiophiles who sit 6 feet away from their 86dB speakers powered by 2-8 watt SET proclaiming that's all the power they need while playing Bolero at volume levels lower than conversation.

On the other hand, that Dared is a hybrid with real SS output stage of 13 watts, which is quite a bit of power actually. In a reasonable room, speakers of higher-than-average sensisivity (hopefully at least 88-89 dB/w/m) and reasonable impedance curve (read: not Thiels, Apogees) should work as long as you're not a fan of large symphonic/death metal/rave music.
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post #4 of 19
2/17/07 at 6:17pm
http://www.welbornelabs.com/recomendspeaks.htm

This is a pretty good link that sheds some insight on some speaker companies that could be considered both sensitive and efficient. At the bottom, he gives a good break down of the various ratings and some good things to consider.
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post #5 of 19
2/18/07 at 2:19am
Another efficient speaker you might be interested in is this:

http://www.eddiecurrent.com/cicadaspeakers.htm

Only $119 per driver, and it's one of the great bargains on the market. Well, you have to build the cabinet or hire someone to, but still, it'll come out cheaper than most singledrivers. Some of the Fostex drivers are also a great value, but I like the Cicadas best. Here's the Stereophile review:

http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcom...th/index1.html

I love my pair.
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post #6 of 19
2/18/07 at 2:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
Another efficient speaker you might be interested in is this:

http://www.eddiecurrent.com/cicadaspeakers.htm

Only $119 per driver, and it's one of the great bargains on the market. Well, you have to build the cabinet or hire someone to, but still, it'll come out cheaper than most singledrivers. Some of the Fostex drivers are also a great value, but I like the Cicadas best. Here's the Stereophile review:

http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcom...th/index1.html

I love my pair.
I concur, and I also love my pair of cicadas as well; unfortunately, the cicada driver has long been discontinued. As of right now, there is no other source for the driver, and Craig has no plans on bringing it back.
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post #7 of 19
2/18/07 at 10:54pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the replies guys. i'm starting to get worried cuz i can't find any efficient speakers that are cheaper. i'm still not sure how much i want to spend. maybe somebody could tell me what the cheapest sensitive speakers are, so i can determine my budget. thanks.
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post #8 of 19
2/18/07 at 11:17pm
If you want to get a feel for what will partner well with this amp, try looking around at what other people use with it, email your local distributor for recommendations, or just bring it with you when you're out auditioning loudspeakers. I think generally speaking, you'll get better efficiency from floorstanding rather than bookshelf loudspeakers (which doesn't always work well when you're shopping on a budget!).

(As a side note, I think that the MP-5 is overpriced for what it is over here in Australia, so you may be better off considering other options that will allow you more budget for loudspeakers. Or, get a different headphone amp with pre-outs, and pick up a power amp off ebay with the money you've saved for a more powerful/tweakable combo. This is of course my own opinion and may not suit you!)
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post #9 of 19
2/18/07 at 11:42pm
I have a pair of vintage Klipsch Heresy's & they are extremely efficient. I used to drive them with a small cheap stereo receiver & they worked wonderfully out of that bad setup. Later I upgraded to a better separates system - but they have served me well for over 20 years.
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post #10 of 19
2/19/07 at 12:15am
Thread Starter 
i've been looking at the insignia NS-B2111s. they are 90db, pretty cheap, and have gotten good reviews.
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post #11 of 19
2/19/07 at 12:42am
I've got a 2-watt SET driving some mutant Altecs with a 15' woofer and a 288c compression driver. I think if I turned it up I could draw blood or crack the sheet rock walls.

One thing I find with the high efficiency horns is an effortless presentation. It’s warm and involving but doesn’t sound like it’s trying hard.


Mitch
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post #12 of 19
2/19/07 at 8:27pm
I was reading the March 2007 issue of The Absolute Sound last night, and I noticed they had an article on some little PSB bookshelves that might suit you... they're the PSB Alpha B1's. RRP is US$279 and you always have an upgrade path with a powered sub later on. Efficiency is 90dB/w/m into 6 ohm which may be a little power hungry, so bring your amp along and test them out - it might go loud enough for you. The review itself had nothing but good things to say about these little gems.

PSB Alpha B1's: http://www.psbspeakers.com/product.php?pId=69&sId=4
TAS Review: http://www.psbspeakers.com/review.ph...9&pId=69&sId=4

Cheers.
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post #13 of 19
3/12/07 at 12:08pm
I'm so happy. I got hold of the last MP-5 in Sweden for 2290 SEK (337 USD). Considering that I live in Sweden, I think it's a good price. They use to cost 3750 SEK (530 USD).

However, I about to buy a pair of KEF iQ3 speakers.

Has anyone tried them with MP-5?

They seem good, but their sensitivity is 89 dB. I hope this is enough. I'm going to use them in a pretty small room. Is there any risk of shortening the life of the MP-5 with insensitive speakers?
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post #14 of 19
3/12/07 at 9:12pm
I am converted now to "fullrange single driver speakers" now, mainly Fostex, Tannoy and Creative Sounds.

The reason that most speakers are inefficient today is because of the bookshelf style/market revolution and the industry has taken a turn for the worse with everyone buying up HT systems with their little tiny enclosures. Small speaker required alot of power and need a powerful amp, more power = more distortion, heat etc... Normally the larger the driver and enclosure, the more efficient the speakers, the second you have crossovers from the tweeter to midrange to woofer your adding up ineffciencies and drifiting of the sound. This is why high-end audiophiles like to use low powered tube or flea size chip amps for that amazing warm 3D soundstage. You dont need more than 10-20w to power effcient floor size speakers.
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post #15 of 19
3/12/07 at 10:57pm
I am so tempted to hook up my B&Ws to my Dared ... if I could only figure out how to get them to fit on my desk
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