Hi efficient speaker, bass problems

The latter will probably remain linear to a far higher SPL than most similar-sized low-efficiency home audio woofers.
-Audiokinesis

Please define Low efficiency,

Have to disagree here, most domestic homes speakers ( good ones) will not have any issues with power induced linearities at domestic listening levels.

regards,

Sorry , should have said High sensitivity speakers . One of the above posters mentioned amps , and yes now that I think about it the high sensitivity speakers that friends use are being powered by low powered amps .

In that case it is prolly a function of amp output impedance and not
power. Tube amps, especially set amps are of high out put
impedance. When this reacts with a speakers impedance which can be low in the bass and higher in the treble (without a zobel network which
wil lower efficency) the result is a less controlled and responsive
bass.

In my opinion a fairly high output impedance (low damping factor) amplifier actually works extremely well with proper loudspeaker matching. In the bass region, a high output impedance has the effect of raising the woofer's electrical Q, which reduces electromagnetic damping. But if we start out with a woofer + box that would "normally" be overdamped, the net result with the low-damping-factor amplifier is a properly damped system... but in addition, you get a "free lunch": You end up with deeper bass extension than you would have gotten with a high-damping-factor solid state amp! If done right, you can get as much as 1/3 octave deeper extension. To put this in perspective, this is more than you'd normally get from doubling the box size while maintaining the same efficiency. I exploit this "free lunch" routinely.

Duke

Extension, dampning and efficiency are the tradeoffs. The vectors go in different directions. The op questions grip vs eff. The extension is not. as I understand. part of the query. But I'm all in for a free lunch of any kind. Elucidate