[aj_brown_99]

I guess I'll just have to try the Dayton out and see how well it works for me. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I'm worried my teachers will be unhappy if it isn't loud enough. Then again, I can probably just take the amp off their hands for the $40 and get them a new one. 

 

[ecclesand]

What about the Cambridge Audo S30 speakers?  http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CAS30&variation=OAK  I've been reading a lot of good things about them.

 

[tjkurita]

Quote:

I don't think you really understand how little 5dB is.
 
89.5dB - what the little 15-watter should be able to reach in a big classroom - is just shy of the 90dB or so bar at which prolonged exposure will cause permanent hearing damage.  You don't want the kids having hearing loss or even the potential for it at the school's hands, do you? (i.e. 89.5dB is plenty loud!)
 
Another example:  My 89dB sensitivity Klipsch KG 2 speakers play loud enough with my 20 watt Marantz 1040 integrated amp to get noise complaints in my apartment in the early evening (6 PM).  The sound quality is a bit lacking from both (well, the Marantz headphone jack is great), but there is no want for power.  FYI, in the same conditions as the RC Minis (88dB sensitivity) and the 15 watt Dayton, the Klipsch/Marantz only get approximately 2.3dB louder - which is right on the threshold of most people's ability to even perceive a difference in volume.
 
But if you don't believe me - and you probably won't, because I've had people complain of the same issues before - then get one of the sub-$300 receivers available new.  They won't be nearly as high quality sound-wise as the Dayton (despite the plastic) and they'll cost a whole lot more.
 
If you insist, I'd go for the Harman Kardon HK 3390 (a better deal) or the Denon DRA-297 - either one will be a step above the Yamaha, Onkyo, Teac, etc. receivers available for under $300.  The quality integrated amps (Cambridge Audio, NAD, Marantz) that will be on par with the Dayton will cost $350 and up - probably out of your budget.
 
But do the school a favor and buy the adequate but under 1/5 the price Dayton, won't you?  I'm sure the remaining money would be better spent towards some extra A/V equipment instead.

I think that efficiency is not only about how loud something gets, but also about the quality of the sound.  Low power amps into low efficiency speakers might make loud sound, but the amp will probably be at the limits of its comfort level and the sound will lose definition and get muddy and maybe even distort.  One must also consider the load the speakers presents across the spectrum, if the impedance fluctuates down to 4 ohms or below, it becomes a lot more difficult for the amp to drive the speakers.  I know that a classroom session is not a hi-fi audio exhibit, but 15 watts into 88db speakers doesn't seem like a great match to me. 

 

[Omega17TheTrue]

+1 tjkurika
 
Amp and speaker matching is something hazardous for the wallet (and good for the market) and hard, as amps are made with concession to work with almost all speakers, that the reason why i prefer to use amps that are designed to work for a specific drivers/speakers like powered speakers or most active speakers.
 
I would recommend a powered pro speaker made for public application.

 

[satkinsn]

Since you're in Canada, how about the PSB LR1s?
 
They don't have any bass to speak of, but are otherwise the usual clear, civilized, excellent PSB sound. I've never met a PSB speaker I didn't like, and these are no exception. Ebayed, they're often less than $100 in very good shape.
 
I use a lot of T amps, and recommend the old stand-by Trends TA - I run a 10.1, but the 10.2 looks fine as well.
 
Scott A.
Watertown NY

 

[Bmac]

I would go with some used Totem Mites. There's a pair on CAM right now for $400. While they're physically bigger than the RC-Mini's they fit your size requirement at exactly 6" wide.

 

[luvs2squizz]

Quote:

I would go with some used Totem Mites. There's a pair on CAM right now for $400. While they're physically bigger than the RC-Mini's they fit your size requirement at exactly 6" wide.

If I read correctly he's looking for multiple pairs of speakers
 
They are a bit oversize but I think the Chase home theater (Tweak City audio) WAF-1/Gizmo combo would be right for the job; you don't have to worry about finding an amp, FWIR they sound great, and they look pretty
Yes I know your projected budget is ~$500 but do you really need hifi in a classroom?

 

 

[Shike]

I'm surprised someone hasn't mentioned Klipsch yet . . . I'd imagine a horn loaded higher efficiency speaker would be best for this type of situation.  And in terms of an amp the Dayton APA150 would work fine.  It's a chip amp IIRC almost identical to the Emotiva BPA-1 (discontinued).
 
My $.02

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

I'm surprised someone hasn't mentioned Klipsch yet . . . I'd imagine a horn loaded higher efficiency speaker would be best for this type of situation.  And in terms of an amp the Dayton APA150 would work fine.  It's a chip amp IIRC almost identical to the Emotiva BPA-1 (discontinued).
 
My $.02

To be honest I am not impressed with my dad's pair of new Klipsch bookshelf speakers.  The smaller energy speakers he has sound much better to my ears.  The Klipsches are quite bright, but maybe some more experimentation with placement could tame that.  For the record, my dad's floorstander Heritage line KG 4's are much more balanced (they're so good for the price that my brother got a pair too), and my smaller (but big for bookshelf speakers) KG 2's are in between.
 
I think the problem with the bookshelfs is that while the tweeter is easily mounted as a horn, the woofer is essentially impossible to do so with.
 
The Klipsch bookshelf speakers do get a few decibels efficiency over the competition - but I'm not convinced it's worth it...  The RB-51 II seems to get decent reviews, and it's quite efficient for a bookshelf at 92 dB.  If you can deal with 6.5" width then they'd probably be fine paired with the little Dayton.

 

[Shike]

Quote:

To be honest I am not impressed with my dad's pair of new Klipsch bookshelf speakers.  The smaller energy speakers he has sound much better to my ears.  The Klipsches are quite bright, but maybe some more experimentation with placement could tame that.  For the record, my dad's floorstander Heritage line KG 4's are much more balanced (they're so good for the price that my brother got a pair too), and my smaller (but big for bookshelf speakers) KG 2's are in between.
 
I think the problem with the bookshelfs is that while the tweeter is easily mounted as a horn, the woofer is essentially impossible to do so with.
 
The Klipsch bookshelf speakers do get a few decibels efficiency over the competition - but I'm not convinced it's worth it...  The RB-51 II seems to get decent reviews, and it's quite efficient for a bookshelf at 92 dB.  If you can deal with 6.5" width then they'd probably be fine paired with the little Dayton.

I agree there's better speakers for SQ overall, and Klipsch are definitely bright if you're on-axis with them.  However, in a large room with 30 students - all probably off-axis by a decent margin, the brightness will probably end up compensating for roll-off otherwise presented while reducing potential distortion.  The efficiency will at least give a little boost since it needs to fill up a classroom.
 
Of course the only way to know is to test them in the room unfortunately.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

The smallest Klipsch that I was impressed with were the WB14's. They probably have the best finish for a sub 400$ speaker, the wooden cabinets are absolutely gorgeous. They sounded quite good as well in my system and the mids were wonderful, and very well presented. The only drawbacks were how the sound changes dramatically when you go off axis, and the very light bass. I sold them eventually once I heard the Martin Logan Motion 4 which was way better in every regard, but fit and finish wise, I'd still rate the WB14's higher. But then for the use case described by the OP, I would expect fit/finish and looks to be the least concerning factors, and build quality, sound and reliability to be higher priorities. Still worth checking out if you can find a good deal on them, I've seen them go for a little more than 200 bucks and at that price they are quite competitive.