High efficiency speakers

Jax I use SETs and play rock, punk, pipe organ ,etc most every type of music. I never feel limited by my SET horns systems I play whatever I want. If loudspeakers and SET both are well matched I can play most any SPL level off 1 SET amp. Ive even used a SET horn system at a outdoor biker rally and at my sons school gym. And these are musical horns designed for hi-end audio use not PA. And some bass systems dont need large SS power if designed for low power or SET so not all large bass drivers need large power. Also since SET powers not just 2-8 watts many SETs have more these are not as limiting. I will also end by saying I greatly enjoy 300b but most if not all 300b amps are rolled off after 40hz. Ive owned many some of the best all have been weak in bass compared to other SET designs. And drivers are not moving air as much as exciting it by pressure wave like ripples in water.

I recently purchased a pair of Tonian Labs TL-D1 speakers after hearing them in a home demo coordinated with Tony Minasian, the designer. They are rated at 95 db with a frequency range of 42 hz to 40K hz and a benign 8 ohm impedance. Measuring 33"H x 11W x 17"D they are a simple two way design with an 8" Fostex driver and a modified ribbon super tweeter. They feature a minimal crossover and come with three different sized wooden plates that vary the rear vent size to adjust the bass output for the room.

I found that the TL-D1's worked better in my small (10.5'W x 12'L x 8'H) room than a pair of Audio Note AN/J speakers that I have owned for the past eleven years. The AN/J's sound great in larger rooms but in my smaller room they could be a bit boomy at times with a 50 hz peak due to a primary room mode. Not so with the TL-D1's which have a smoother frequency response in my room.

For amplification I've used an Audio Note M1 pre and P2 SE (18 wpc) amp and a Red Wine Audio Signature 30 (30 wpc) integrated amp. Currently I favor the RWA amp with the Tonian speakers which are still breaking in and are becoming more open and extended at both ends with use. Time will tell which choice of amplification wins out but neither lack in power with an eclectic range of music.

Not much has been written about these speakers, but there is a recent Positive Feedback review at http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue36/tonian_labs.htm that I found to be in line with my experience with the speakers.

Whether the TL-D1 speakers will be a good match with your amp and room I couldn't say, but they definitely work very well for me. Given their musical capabilities I would consider them one of the best values in speakers. Tony also makes other speakers based on the PHY drivers that reputedly offer more refinement and realism, but at a much higher price.

Good luck with your quest.

But I did phone up the Kharma factory and was told the ML2.1s are "perfect match" for my speakers.

Aaaaah, that makes sense. I was hoping that you didn't just pick a reference SET amp and hope it would work.

Hey JohnK - I believe you, and am glad to hear it. Please note, I did not say that SET amps could not play rock, punk or pipe organ music. I've also played and enjoyed all that as well as orchestral and other dense and challenging source material with SET and horns. I did not say it was necessarily a bad combination. I only stated that it was my opinion that the denser source material is better served by SS amps in comparison (IMO, of course - you may feel differently). I have not heard any SET amp / speaker combos that serve that type of material better than SS, but there are many out there and I've only listened to a relatively small amount of what's available between shows, dealers and friends, as well as the few I've had at home. So many amps, so little time! Seems like the SET stuff that I have heard that does better with denser material are parallel SET solutions mostly that put out a bit more power. Bel Canto's SET amps were pretty nice in that respect too. I'm glad to hear that more is possible than my experience leads me to believe. It does not surprise me. I've seen some of the unique speakers you've sold here and they certainly look interesting (with much emphasis on bass cabinets as I recall). Thanks also for the clarification on the physics of drivers! As I understand it, transformers also play a big roll in successful implementation of SET topology. I've been using a pair of Mike Sanders Quicksilver 300B SET amps. They're not on his site, but he had a pair at the recent RMAF and was also playing his KT88 based SET amps there as well. Love'em. They do have what seems to be a better bass response than a few other 300B's I've been able to compare them directly too (Wavelength and Wright Sound). That said I don't think bass is a 300B's strong suit. The horns that I've seemed to like the most take up a whole lot of space and need room to breath. While the smaller solutions don't really excite me much. I've recently had to give up my larger workspace and bring my system home and I've been having a hell of a time missing those horns. My modified LaScalas are just too big for my modestly sized home. I've tried a few different speakers looking for that speed and dynamics of horns. Coincident has come the closest with a very similar clarity as well, without any edginess at all. Damn fine speakers, but ultimately I do think they're in need of a bit more power to really sing in my room (the volume of which is rather large overall, while listening is practically nearfield). They do great with the 300B's otherwise except for the deepest of bass notes. If I were in a smaller room I think they might be perfect. 300b's with horns is nirvana for me with much of the music I prefer, but I don't think it is necessarily everyone else's, and I don't think that I might not enjoy other alternatives (and have certainly done just that).

Alectiong, as others have said having 18 watts gives you the luxury that many SETs don't give you. I loved my Reimyo PAT777 amp but bought Acapella LaCampanellas at 92 db. The 8 watt Reimyo just could perform as it had with the Beauhorn Virtuosos at 103 db. But the Beauhorns were dying at 60 Hz and Murata super tweeters helped a lot. But with no crossover, the Beauhorns were wonderous where they worked.

The guy that bought my Reimyo uses Avantgarde Trios and absolutely love it. I think your requirements realistically cannot be met. The Zus would work, but I have never been a fan. Were you not to have your space requirement I would recommend the Klipshorns, which still seem to me to be the best efficient speakers. I have owned them three times in my 45 year audio experience and often wonder why I ever moved away from them. They do have to be in corners, which was my reason for selling the first two pairs. Now, however, I could put them in the corners with no hole in the center.