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Speaker sensitivity vs SQ

My first thread at AG.

Millercarbon continues to bleat on about the benefits of high sensitivity speakers in not requiring big amplifier watts.
After all, it's true big amplifiers cost big money.  If there were no other factors, he would of course be quite right.

So there must be other factors.  Why don't all speaker manufacturers build exclusively high sensitivity speakers?
In a simple world it ought to be a no-brainer for them to maximise their sales revenue by appealing to a wider market.

But many don't.  And in their specs most are prepared to over-estimate the sensitivity of their speakers, by up to 3-4dB in many cases, in order to encourage purchasers.  Why do they do it?

There must be a problem.  The one that comes to mind is sound quality.  It may be that high sensitivity speakers have inherently poorer sound quality than low sensitivity speakers.  It may be they are more difficult to engineer for high SQ.  There may be aspects of SQ they don't do well.

So what is it please?

128x128clearthinker
nwres's avatar
nwres
223 posts
 
Great sounding speakers come in all sensitivities, it is all about design goals. And a designer may feel that certain drivers give them the sound they are looking for and those drivers may not be all that efficient. And some companies may feel that exclusivity is more profitable than wide appeal. 
bache's avatar
bache
504 posts
 
  ,  Sensitivity depend of moving mass cone and magnet performance.  To achieve good bass and  we have to use  very big enclosure  .or use active bass with build in amp.  we can use unexpansive class D amp  to drive bass section and use external 
high quality low power amp to drive all above low frequency region.     Some company included me follow this way 
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,018 posts
 
Sure, there are good designs from many different topologies. But after owning over 30 high end speakers I have to say (at least for me) that the better ones have always been easier to drive and not requiring an arc welder of an amp. As in most things, simpler is usually better. Give me a pair of horns and a low-medium powered tube amp for sound that just grabs you and pulls you in.

Oz



elliottbnewcombjr
5,300 posts
 
You can find great sounding speakers at any efficiency level.

I also advise avoiding low sensitivity speakers for a few reasons.

1. less power needed
2. less power makes it much easier to try tubes
3. lower power amp, tube or ss: smaller, less weight, less heat, greater flexibility of placement
4. less cost gives more money for the speakers, the most important determinant of SQ.
5. less money in the future when making changes.
6. less money leaves more to spend on content!

When you hear an inefficient speaker and fall in love, you are doomed! 

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