Speaker sensitivity vs SQ

Surprised that no one has mentioned “Hoffmann’s Iron Rule” in this discussion.

Josef Anton Hoffman was the “H” in the original KLH company. He was an audio engineer who theorized that you could only have two of the following in speaker design, never all three:

1. Small speaker enclosure
2. High efficiency
3. Accurate bass response

That is, if you want an efficient speaker with accurate bass, you cannot have a small speaker enclosure. 
Likewise, you can have a small speaker enclosure with good efficiency, but bass response and accuracy will be limited. 
My impression is that speaker design is primarily driven by that limitation when addressing SQ and efficiency.

Hoffman's rule applies to passive dynamic drivers in traditional cabinets.

I have found it interesting to see who has worked around some of this at times, including KEF, B&W and even Bose.

Some interesting designs using smaller than optimal cabinets, which fix the bass by EQ are fun to discuss.

Best,

E

@audiokinesis , @erik_squires ,

Trying to dig it up, it's around here somewhere, but I had a good paper or two on electronic (DSP) correction of thermal compression both copper and magnetic.  It is yet another reason why active speakers will rule the high end roost eventually. Passive will never be able to accomplish what active will be able to.  For subs, active position feedback already can correct for this.

an unnatural treatment of room will also cause your brain to work harder....just evolution...find examples in natural environments that display broad band absorption like a 6-8” deep panel.... they don’t exist.....

ES, you will eventually tumble to time and phase.....

@tomic601 , that makes no sense at all.
If you go into an actual natural environment, short of being in a cave, or very close to a cliff, or in front of a large tree, the only source of reflection is the ground, and normally that is dirt and somewhat soft (absorptive) ground cover. Trees by virtue of being somewhat round, make excellent diffusers. That negates your whole argument right there.

Also negating your argument is your room is not the recording studio, or the concert hall, or the church. For the most part you want to negate the impact of the room so that the acoustical cues in the recording are clearly communicated to the ears/brain and you hear what was recorded.  Removing early/loud reflections via speaker placement, broad band absorbers, and diffusion absolutely will do this. Close late reflections are bad too.

I expect few people have actually heard stereo speakers in an anechoic chamber. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not bad at all, with pin point natural imaging. There is a big difference between audio reproduction and a new sound created in a room.  Voices sound weird in an anechoic chamber because there is none of the expected echo.  Recorded music sounds predominantly natural because the echos are already built into the recording. Your eyes and brain may be at odds though. That nature you mentioned?  Predominantly it behaves more like an anechoic chamber w.r.t. music reproduction than it does the average listening room.