[Ramtha604]

Hey there!

I'm looking for a pair of cheap, small, efficient, good sounding and reasonably loud going (either powered from a porta corda or mid-class (~$500) hp amp) speakers that I can take with me in my (midsized) backpack. Weight doesn't matter as much.

Thanks for any input,
Roland

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Er you mean headphones right?

Well if you have a Porta Corda, I won't worry about the 'efficient' part too much. It ought to drive anything short of an AKG K1000, Sony R10 or Sony F1 with no trouble at all (from a power perspective) (so note that those 3 are all anti-recommendations)

 

[Pace]

Are you meaning that you would be running speakers with a headphone amp?

That might be an experience to say the least!

 

[darkclouds]

That's going to be tough, driving a pair of speakers with a porta corda.

I'm not aware of any headamp at around $500 that can drive a pair of speakers.

I know the micro zotl can do it with some very high efficientcy speakers (not cheap). The RKV may do it also. But neither of them are priced at around $500.

By the way, in my search for high efficientcy speakers (95db+), I discovered that small is relative term, and the price tend to be pretty damn high.

 

[taoster]

an active powered portable speaker will fit the task

 

[Ramtha604]

Of course small active speakers would be a solution, but a HP-amp powering superefficient, small passives sound so much better at an equal price. Are there really no nice-sounding speakers of moderate size (anywhere around 200x200x300 mm) out there?

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Well, I say, I can fit my new minisystem in my backpack... costs ~$200... just buy me a big big backpack

Grab the cheapest minisystem you can find with the tiniest power output, and the speakers that come with it ought to be super-efficient

 

[Schummy]

I use my PC Altec Lansing ACS495 speakers as a mini systems this way: I put my TotalAirHead HP amplifier into the second input in the Altecs, then I put my mp3 (CD player, casette(!), mini radio, etc) into the HP. I like the sound, and I use it when I'm working/browsing in the PC and I want to have some music on it.

Anyway, usually I just use a Python script that randomly play any mp3 I have in the PC (almost always playing just the first minute or so, like a bizarre medley

), but this is another story!

 

[Gallaine]

I'm am currently looking for a pair of small, efficient bookshelf speakers myself. In terms of efficiency I've been looking at 90+ db @ 1W/1m.

I started with Axiom since I have a pair of their M22ti's and love them. They have the M2i at $255 a pair and 91 db.
Audio Advisor is currently selling the Mirage FRx-3 for $199. They have an efficiency of 90 db.
I've also found the Klipsch Quintet on Ebay for less than $100. They also have an efficiency of 90 db.

Finding small and efficient monitors hasn't been a problem. The problem is finding good ones cheap.

Having not heard the other brands I mentioned, I can only vouch for the sound of the Axiom's.

 

[D-EJ915]

generally speaking (lol), larger speakers have higher sensitivity ratings, it's just something I've noticed, hope it helps...you could always get the Infinity Plate speakers (for a car), they sound good and are cheap.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Look into Loth-x Ion series. They are extremely efficient.

You could try moth cicadas as well.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Trying to fit the Moth Cicadas into a backpack ought to be fun

*me wonders what Ramtha604 found*

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Unfortunately, there are no small, superefficient passive loudspeakers on the market - at least those that have any sound quality at all whatsoever. The few small, superefficient passive loudspeakers that exist are all as tinny-sounding as a cheap clock radio speaker or a pocket radio speaker, with no bass whatsoever, no true top-end extension, and mostly harsh, screechy upper-mids and lower-treble.

Conversely, in terms of high-quality small passive loudspeakers, all of them are super-inefficient! (That is, they need a really huge amplifier just to produce much if any sound at all.)

As for your Porta Corda, that amp is NOT designed to drive loudspeakers at all; in fact, most loudspeakers have an impedance rating that's WAY too low (e.g. 4 to 8 ohms) for the little headphone amp to handle (the headphone amp is designed for 32-ohm or higher-impedance headphones). If you ignore this advice and use loudspeakers anyway, you may end up messing up your headphone amp - to the point that it needs major and expensive repairs.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

Yep, the laws of physics are against you--larger speakers are inherently more efficient than small speakers, all else being equal...

Incidentally, I'm thinking of using my 30W mini-hifi amp to push some 89dB/W floorstanders. Think that would be ok?