Suggestions for higher efficiency speakers

If you can stretch your budget a bit (or find used), at around $3,000 a pair, the Tekton Double Impacts and Rethm Bhaava (built in active woofer) are good sounding speakers that will permit the use of low-powered amps.  Low power limits the field considerably, and very few of the candidates are low-cost.  

I like low-powered SET amps (I own one), but, even though they are usually very simple amps, they require special, and somewhat expensive, output transformers.  The decent sounding ones don't come cheap.

If you are interested in what SET amps can do, go to a retailer or an audio show and listen first before shopping.  To some extent, the touted "magic" is an exaggeration--good SET amps sound great, but, that is also the case with good pushpull and output transformerless ((ORL) amps.  If you like your current speakers, but you are looking for something different to spice things up, consider an OTL amp.  OTL's are very vivid and lively sounding and will be a bigger change in sound from your Jolida than any SEt amp would be.

I have no serious don't buy complaints about vintage or Heritage and listen to every set I fix for a while before selling them off. But if pure sound quality is the main criteria the Pro stuff wins hands down. Most of the time the topic of what sounds the best is what is discussed and I have an opinion there many might disagree with. Theexception to this is the older Cornwalls which I think sound very boxy and after only two sets never bought any more.

The problem is those who have not actually heard better pro gear don’t know how good it is. It was funny to see expressions on peoples faces when I had sets of KPT-456’s for sale as they heard them for the first time. I had a really sweet Chorus I with upgraded crossovers and a MAHL tweeter in there. Normally they would have sold quick. I also had the KPT-456’s at the time ready to go and I play whatever I have on hand for Craigslist people that come over. They would hear the Chorus which they came there for and then ask "what is THAT?". So with a grin on my face I would tell them and then play them. The Chorus was $1,200 and the 456’s were $1500 and that set of Chorus speakers sold four sets of KPT-456’s before they left.

That set of 456’s was 18" deep, 27.75" wide and 55.75" tall. So little more than a Cornwall on footprint although much taller. Total cubic inch footprint less than a La Scala. 800 watts output on bass bin and 75 watts on the 2" horn top and unbelievable fidelity. It beats ALL the Heritage including the KHorn and this is why I talk so much about pro. At any volume these just sounded much bigger and better. My normal listening level by the way is about 80db. When I want to sit next to the 32’ organ pipes it gets louder. No veneer and scant WAF and I get all that I just don’t have to abide by that.

Heritage and Vintage Klipsch is the real deal compared to the rest of the market in value for dollar spent I believe. Once you step up to Klipsch Pro though it is a different ball game.
Considering the OP’s original inquiry here is something to think about. The KPT-456 is 104DB efficient and the newer version of the same which is the KPT-904 is 105db efficient.

Way beyond the OP’s amount to spend but have you heard the Cornwall IV yet?

I have not heard the CW IV yet, but don’t have to. I posted a thread back in September, stating they will be an incredible product. I know the in’s and out’s of all the Heritage, as, you know the in’s and out’s of the pro’s.......We are on the same page, except for one or two things......I do feel, many larger pro speakers, are simply made, and sound best, at a further listening distance, and this is what my ears are saying, and prefer. A personal thing. I know my Lascala’s ( my 7th pair ), were designed by PWK, for live, stage performance, but do not feel the same about them. They do great with near field listening. I am also very aware of the disconnect with horn hybrids, that slight lack of coherence between the subs and the horns. I do question your comment about things sounding good in a small 12 X 12 room. I do not like the sound of small square rooms, and try to avoid them, like the plague. A 9 X 11 room would be better, even though it is smaller. IME. All good though.....Enjoy ! MrD.

A group of us met with Roy Delgado in October at the Klipsch factory for a teaching session on why PW Klipsch did what he did and why Roy does what he does regarding speaker design. One of the sessions had the new Heresy, a vast improvement, the new Forte, some improvement, the Cornwall 4, an unbelievable improvement and last the newest La Scala which was basically the same old same old but very pretty.
  The speaker that really ruled the roost though was that yummy Jubilee and we heard all of them in Roy's sound lab. Same room same everything with the speakers being played one after the other and pro gear ruled that day.


   Roy's comment on pro gear vs home owner gear as he stated himself on the klipsch forum goes like this.  11-24-18  "

Definitely not helping to make your point. It’s obvious that you did not understand what I wrote. In case you don’t know, Paul’s four points; high efficiency, low distortion, controlled directivity, and controlled freq response. That’s what I am for and as long as I can help it, that will be the case. Will a Cornwall sound good in a typical living room?  Yep. Will a ki396, 904 or even a grand system......you betcha. You gain headroom, headroom, headroom. Did I mention headroom?  There is no compromise on the acoustic goals but only with what physics and economics limits us. Like bass extension and price points. So before you categorically decide that pro speakers are lacking the attributes of a home system, go listen to one. And now I really hope you get it.......meanwhile back to bass fishing.

"

I hear the inside of a large horn, in a typical living room environment, and I prefer to be further from them, when listening. What do YOU not understand ? You are like so many other people here......that folks need to like, what you like.....The advantage I have had for 50 years, is that I was a consultant to listeners, with all kinds of equipment, speakers, listening rooms, musical preferences, and of course, a wide range of budgets. No sense in arguing. I happen to know, that each listener is an INDIVIDUAL...you do not accept this, nor understand this. A Vandersteen owner might not like a Klipsch, of whatever product line it is. Not everyone will like the same thing. I love horns, all day long, but each horn, and yes I have heard many pro horns, have certain places where they sound best, TO ME...You just don’t get it, mahlman....Enjoy your journey, as I will enjoy mine......MrD.