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Low-sensitivity speakers — What's special about them?

I'm building a system for a smaller room (need smaller bookshelves), and I did a bunch of research and some listening. I am attracted both to the Dynaudio Evoke 10's (heard locally) and the Salk Wow1 speakers (ordered and I'm waiting on them for a trial). I have a Rel 328 sub.

Here's the thing — both of those speakers are 84db sensitivity. Several people on this forum and my local dealer have remarked, "You should get a speaker that's easier to drive so you have a wider choice of power and can spend less, too."

That advice — get a more efficient speaker — makes sense to me, but before I just twist with every opinion I come across (I'm a newbie, so I'm pathetically suggestible), I'd like to hear the other side. Viz.,

QUESTION: What is the value in low sensitivity speakers? What do they do for your system or listening experience which make them worth the cost and effort to drive them? Has anyone run the gamut from high to low and wound up with low for a reason?

Your answers to this can help me decide if I should divorce my earlier predilections to low-sensitivity speakers (in other words, throw the Salks and Dyns overboard) and move to a more reasonable partner for a larger variety of amps. Thanks.
hilde45
hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
5,217 posts
 
@lonemountain Thank you so much for your informative post. It's been a while since I started this thread, but your answer is probably the best one so far.

Especially important is your statement:
Low sensitivity is not a by product of reducing cost. A manufacturer could decide to build a cheap system with low or high sensitivity. A high quality company, like the one I work for (ATC), chooses lower sensitivity to improve bass response in a smaller speaker.  Most high end companies with lower sensitivity speaker systems do it for the same "better performance" reason. Sensitivity is simply a measure of how efficient the complete system is, which is dictated by a whole series of choices like drivers, box, porting, etc.

Implying low sensitivity is a purely low cost choice/cheap system option is a not correct.  

Jim Salk makes high quality, beautiful, and well-reviewed speakers, and I started this post because some that I ordered were 83 db. He is a very good example of why the claim you've just rebutted is wrong.

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,160 posts
 
And let’s face it trash aka out of phase cone breakup counts as output…..
gdnrbob
4,482 posts
 
Seeing Almarg's post at the front of this thread brings back fond memories. I hope heaven has a great sound system for him to listen to.
Bob
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,246 posts
 
@gdnrbob

Seeing Almarg's post at the front of this thread brings back fond memories. I hope heaven has a great sound system for him to listen to.
Bob

I wasn't aware of poster @almarg having passed. Sorry to learn of this. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,074 posts
 
Al was a really nice guy. I miss having him here.
A 86/87dB 1w/1m speaker referred to often as "low sensitivity" is only 3dB away from a 90dB 1w/1m - referred to as a "high sensitivity speaker".
Although most of the post from which I extracted this is good information, this statement really isn't right. A 'high sensitivity speaker' is really going to be more like 96dB at the lowest; there's something called 'medium sensitivity' which is about 90 to 96dB.
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