What is your take on high efficient speakers vs. low efficient speakers?

@mijostyn wrote:

we have to disagree about something. Try driving an ESL with a SET amp. Do I smell something burning?

And it ain’t the toast. No, SET’s for when they make sense; with high to very high sensitivity speakers to take advantage of the less than 1 watt where the distortion levels found in these amps are extremely low here, just like with the speakers they’re feeding that efficiently turns electrical power into acoustic energy. Think about the power that’s wasted as heat with low sensitivity, passively driven dynamic speakers, not to mention the poor cone/diaphragm to air coupling - waste upon waste, really. It’s all about the most efficient transfer, and lastly from the speakers to the ears and how to "capture" the acoustic ditto here, which is also a reason why I’ve never dug heavy absorption - it potentially makes matters worse energy-wise:

@phusis

No, SET’s for when they make sense; with high to very high sensitivity speakers to take advantage of the less than 1 watt where the distortion levels found in these amps are extremely low here, just like with the speakers they’re feeding that efficiently turns electrical power into acoustic energy.

Yes, this accurately describes my copacetic listening scenario. 8 watt SET mono blocks driving 94 db sensitivity /14-ohm impedance speakers. My typical listening levels sitting 10 feet away are  C-weighted 65-75 SPL

Can dip to the mid 50s (softer passages) most ofren peaks (mid 80s).. I can listen at louder levels comfortably, but no need to.

At these very satisfying listening levels the SET is far below 1 watt of power (Small fractions of one watt) and doing so at a very low level of distortion (As you note). The sound is very tactile, resolved, pure, natural and quite emotionally engaging. Key take away is the amp and speaker must form a compatible match.

Charles

@charles1dad , I said "FEEL" like you are in a small Jazz club. I hate to be a stick in the mud but forgetting about SET, amps higher powered amplifiers have trouble getting low bass right. If you thick a SET amp can get even close you and I live in different universes. SET amps are for hobbyists, the guys who like short wave radios. To each his own for sure but I am talking about a specific level of performance one in a thousand systems might reach and not one of them will have a SET amp. 

@mijostyn 

You are dogmatic and presumptuous in your dialogue.  Let's just agree that you and I have very different experiences and perspective and leave it there. We both have found over the course of time what hast proven to satisfy our respective audio/music listening goals. We are both quite happy with our audio systems. Some on this thread can relate to my perspective and others here relate to yours. That's fine with me.

Charles

Not my set-up, unfortunately, Kharma/Lamm SET deliver super performance.

Kharma is medium efficient, I think.