High Efficiency Speakers Your top 3 or more


Not taking cost or musical preferences into account what are the top 3 high efficiency speakers you've ever heard, overall?
mmike84
Tvad, we are not so strict about the loading on the M-60. I've seen it work fine with speakers that dip to 4 ohms at crossover points, IMO its always something that you try and see how it works. But Thom has had his M-60s for well over a year and a half and seems to really like the combination, so it seems that they are a good match. He's pretty demanding.
As Ralph suggested in an earlier post for another speaker a GM70 based dehavilland could probably swing it too, but it appears anything less than the most powerful SET may not do the trick with those.
I had reminded myself to mention Daedalus in this thread and it slipped my mind. These are indeed excellent speakers, some of the best around, and they are indeed SET-compatible, but perhaps only higher-power SET.

I had an older pair of DA1s which I drove with a Viva Solista 845 SET as well as an ASR Emitter. The far greater power of the Emitter (and much lower damping factor) was really only evident at very high levels (much louder than I would normally listen).

Both combos were really, really, really good but I think I preferred the SET for that utterly pure midrange.

Lou says the current speakers are an easier load and thus even more friendly to no/low feedback tube amps.

Lou does really seem to like SS amps and I can only speculate that he likes music quite loud or prefers some other aspect(s) of transistor amps because they are very suitable for big SE transmitter triodes at least. I think a 300B would likely be marginal - despite the sensitivity I would think all those drivers draw some current.
A big and hearty second to Daedalus! I've heard the Ulysses with both SET tube amplification and with SS, and in both cases the pairings were outstanding. I cannot speak for Lou, but I can tell you from my own perspective that the synergy with specific SS amps (Modwright in the case of my own experience) has nothing whatsoever with listening to music loud. Like Coincident, they are very versatile in that they have the potential to pair well with both tube and SS amplification. From what I've heard of them with each one it would be difficult to pick a preference other than in knowing that SS will probably suit an ultimately wider range of musical preferences. I've also heard the smaller Da-RMA's with Modwright SS monoblocks would opine that those speakers pair quite well with SS, in that case, and are like their larger brothers but with a bit less in the extremes (mostly low end).
haha, tastes differ so much. I have the Zu Def. 2s and wouldn't trade them for anything on the basis of sound quality. On the other hand, I have a friend with a dearer system than mine based on big Coincidents which I simply can't stand. The bass alignment is just wrong.

The Defs DEFINITELY can fill a big room on In Rainbows, in their sleep, on a small amp. Like a 45. I don't consider them rocker speakers though, it's weird. While they sound 'good' with any competent gear, they have a 'great' level which takes a fair bit of tweaking to attain.