High Efficiency Speakers Your top 3 or more

I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned the Daedalus Ulysses, which are 97db and are in the op's price range.

Although I have not yet heard them, they have received effusively glowing comments from many users here and elsewhere, as well as in reviews that are linked to from the Daedalus site. Based on those comments, and on the extent to which their design characteristics meet my particular requirements and preferences, I felt completely confident in recently ordering a pair, which I am now awaiting. Thirty day audition privileges are standard policy, although I have no expectation of needing to take advantage of that policy.

The only less than glowing comments I have seen about them were offered by a few people who listened to them at RMAF 2009. However in a previous thread here Lou Hinkley (Mr. Daedalus Audio) indicated that was due to problems with the room, which I have no reason to doubt.

My requirements and preferences in choosing these speakers were/are:

1)Top-notch sound quality.
2)Wide dynamic range, specifically the ability to cleanly reproduce the peaks of well-recorded classical symphonic music.
3)Not requiring a high-powered amplifier (e.g., 200W+) to do so.
4)Not requiring a subwoofer.
5)Tube-friendly impedance characteristics.
6)Good imaging.
7)Elegant, refined appearance that is a reasonable match to my wood-panelled 1950’s living room. It seems that everyone who sees them raves about their appearance, finish, and build quality. I ordered them in the optional quartersawn white oak.
8)A price that is considerably less than that of a new car.

I know of no other speaker that meets all of these requirements as well.

Regards,
-- Al

From their website:

U.S.A. Direct Price $10,950
Drivers; High Frequency (X2) 1" Eton Dome tweeters
Drivers; Mid-range (X2) 5" custom modified Fostex full range loudspeaker
Drivers; Low Frequency (X2) 8" Daedalus Audio Dynamic Loudspeaker
Frequency Response 28 to 25kHZ +/- 1.5db (-3db 25HZ)
Sensitivity 97 db 1w/1m
Continuous Power Rating 400 watts RMS (800+ watts peak)
recommended power 8- 1000 watts
Impedance 6 ohms
Tweeter Switch flat, -1db, +1db

It seems they should work. Maybe we can get an update after Almarg's arrive?

Maybe we can get an update after Almarg's arrive?

Yes, I should have them in about 3 or 4 weeks, at which time I plan to post a system description with pics, and perhaps my initial listening impressions in this thread as well (although it will take some time after they arrive until they are reasonably broken in).

Initially I'll be driving them with a fairly inexpensive, seemingly well built, and apparently no longer available Chinese-made amp called a Paxthon VTA-160, which uses 8 x EL34 (4/channel), 2 x 12AX7 and 2 x 12AU7, delivering 80 watts/channel. It's actually a simple integrated amp, with source selection and volume control, but I'm using it just as a power amp, driven by a Classe CP-60 preamp. I've re-tubed it with a matched octet of SED Wing'd C EL34's, and vintage NOS Telefunken and RCA small signal tubes.

In the meantime, you can search the discussion forums and the review section here under "Daedalus," and also read the reviews that are linked to from the Daedalus site. They rarely appear for sale used, btw -- there was only one pair of Ulysses for sale at Audiogon in the last year or so, as far as I am aware.

Regards,
-- Al