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High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps

Hi, Gang,
I know that some of what I want to discuss here has been dealt with in other threads, some of them quite old, but I wanted to see if any of you fine, knowledgable folks are willing to help update and consolidate some of this info in a more current thread.
I am currently running my new Audio Note Kit 1 300B SET amp with a pair of Reference 3A De Capo speakers. I think it's a fine pairing and I am really enjoying what the 300B SET experience brings to the table in terms of musicality and emotional connection.
Still the De Capo, while supposedly an easy load due to its crossover-less design (only 1 cap on the tweeter with the mid-woofer directly coupled to the amp), is "only" rated at 92 db efficient, and based on the most recent Canadian NRC specs, that rating may be optimistic.
So, I am toying with the idea of trying a pair of more efficient, deliberately SET-friendly speakers in my rig, something that might also play lower and with greater dynamic swing than the De Capo's. Note that the De Capo's have served me well and I am very fond of them, but I can't help but wonder if my lovely Kit 1 would shine even better coupled to a VERY easy to drive speaker.
Devore and Audio Note are obvious options - the O/96 looks really tasty. Unfortunately, both of those choices are out of my budget, which I'm thinking maxes out (for real) at around $1500. I am willing to consider used equipment.
Tekton Lore 2.0: This is the speaker that Eric Alexander of Tekton has recommended when we've spoken on the phone, based upon my medium-small listening room and amp. I've read the epic "Lore vs. Zu" thread elsewhere in this forum, and clearly Tekton has its enthusiastic fans here. What I wonder is whether the Lore 2.0 has the refinement of the De Capo in terms of resolution, sweet high end and imaging. Audiogon'er Mikirob has pointed me to the many rave reviews of Tekton's speakers and I'm definitely interested.
I've corresponded with the Sonist folks (who are super nice) but their really high-efficiency, nearly-full-range floor stander is out of my budget.
Then there's the "vintage" route, going after some used JBL's or other high-efficiency "classics" from the 80's (or '70's). I am not inclined to go in this direction, but mention it because it's been suggested to me.
And then there's Omega. I spoke to Louis some time ago and he recommended his 7XRS hemp cone model. But I know all the raps on single driver designs and I'm cautious, although I would like to hear from any of you who own or have owned Omega's.
I'm in no rush to make a switch but I am very interested in your thoughts. Thanks, folks!
rebbi
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,373 posts
 
I recall the Tekton owner guy indicating a preference for SS amps with his speakers. Don't recall why. Always check those impedance curves, especially at the low end to help determine just how much more of a challenge more bass extension might be.

One good strategy to help manage risk might be to only go with products that have been thoroughly and reliably measured by an independant source, like Stereophile.

My Dynaudio monitors go down into teh 40s as well and do bass and dynamics quite well in a smaller room. My smaller Triangles do not and bass and dynamics is where they first fall short, though with my current placement near the floor for re-inforcement with slight upward tilt on isolating stands, the bass levels are just right now in a slightly larger and livelier room.

You just never know until you try things sometimes.
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Rebbi, thanks for the nice words and for the clarification about size and positioning. Regarding:
04-22-15: Rebbi
As for lower end extension, my old Merlin TSM-mmi's were only rated down to 55 Hz, and I found them so lacking in punch and dynamics that I sold them after a couple of years. The De Capo's, rated down to 42 Hz, taught me that I needed a speaker to have at least a decent taste of low-end punch or I'll get bored and the music loses its foundation. Some of the candidates, like the Lore 2.0, are rated to extend quite lower than the De Capo - down to 30 Hz in the case of the Lore 2.0, which should be very satisfying in my room.
I have no specific knowledge of the Lore, but a general word of caution about speaker bass extension specs: My perception has been, generally speaking, that those numbers stand a considerably greater chance of being both misleading and meaningless than sensitivity or efficiency numbers. For several reasons, including differences in the +/- db tolerances different manufacturers may use; differences in the distortion percentage the number may be based on; differences in the volume level the number may be based on (for a given distortion % and a given +/- tolerance bass extension can be expected to narrow at high volume levels); differences in the extent to which the specified bass extension takes room effects into account; and in cases where speaker impedance is significantly lower at low frequencies than at higher frequencies the possibility that the number may be based on the ability of solid state amplifiers to increase power delivery into lower impedances. And as you've no doubt seen it is common for bass extension to be specified without any of those things being indicated.

Good comments by Mapman just above, btw, some of which relate to these same points.

I note regarding the De Capo, btw, that although it is spec'd down to 42 Hz as you indicated, the measurements I linked to in my previous post show 3 db of rolloff at a bit above 60 Hz, and 6 db of rolloff at a bit above 50 Hz. And that is at a modest input level of 2.83 volts, roughly corresponding to 1 watt. In EE circles, btw, bandwidths are most commonly specified on the basis of 3 db of rolloff.

Best regards,
-- Al
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Al,
Your point about the wide ranging standards regarding speaker bass specifications are
well founded. I will say though that the Tekton bass performance seems to be verified by numerous reviewers and many owners of these speakers. So perhaps their stated specs are "reasonably" reliable/accurate.
Charles,
rebbi OP
1,326 posts
 
For what it's worth, I hadn't seen this before, but this is Tim Smith's review of the Mini-Lore on the Canadian site Wall Of Sound. He's the same fellow who loved the Coincident Dynamo 34 SE amp.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,373 posts
 
No doubt a lot of critical listeners seem to like Tekton. Same can be said about many products. We all hear differnetly, so there is no assurance what sounds good to one will sound good to another. Its always a gamble to a certain extent but hopefully more of a highly educated guess that has a good chance of working out with due diligence.
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