@larryi Do you hear inherent distortion/coloration from the larger speaker enclosures in comparison to smaller enclosures? Is there, therefore, any overall effect on the sound characteristic?
What is your take on high efficient speakers vs. low efficient speakers?
Consider both designs are done right and your other equipment is well matched with the speakers. Do you have any preference when it comes to sound quality? Is it matter of economic decision when it comes to price? - power amps can become very expensive when power goes up, on the other hand large, efficient speakers are expensive as well. Is your decision based on room size? I'd love to hear from you on the subject.
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I can see how it would be harder to control resonance of larger boxes. But, many of the designs that employ heroic measures to control resonance tend to sound a bit sterile, lifeless and lacking in "weight" (thin and anemic sounding). I have no idea if this is because of the resonance control or some other design choices, but, I will say that I don't look at ANY design choice as being dispositive of whether the sound will be good or bad and I don't rule out any speaker just because it is designed or built in a particular way. I've heard some really nice speakers with big cabinets with thin, almost flimsy looking walls that have to be resonating--whether they sound good because of the resonance or despite it, I cannot say for certain. |
@tannoy56 wrote:
IMHO, compared to higher efficiency speakers typically incorporating horns or waveguides at least as hybrid designs (in conjunction with a direct radiating woofer/mids) or more radically as all-horns, a very general observation could be made that low efficiency, direct radiating speakers are less dense and present/direct sounding (paradoxically perhaps when being called 'direct radiating'), while also being dynamically more muted (and less lively overall). Low eff. speakers sometimes have an airier presentation, perhaps due to involving more reflected sound and having a more laid-back, less full sounding imprinting. Very good high eff. speakers have this "lit from within" and ignited quality that really makes music spark and come to life effortlessly, and the larger iterations have a fully immersive and physical yet relaxed presence to them that's quite addictive ones you get used to it. |
phusis, Thank you for an excellent description of what is most prized about the sound of high efficiency systems, particularly, horn-based systems. While good design of such systems will ameliorate midrange "peaky" or "nasal" colorations, such systems do tend to be a bit less smooth in frequency response than better low-efficiency direct radiating speakers. I hesitate to say this because so many people have heard grossly uneven horn and wide range high efficiency driver systems, and do associate such systems with such coloration, but I will say that such problems can be effectively ameliorated in better designs. Still, I can see why such systems will not be to everyone's taste. |
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