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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. 

128x128tannoy56
blisshifi's avatar
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blisshifi
1,204 posts
 

+1 @stereo5 

High and low efficiency values can be somewhat objective. Seems like the majority (in past conversations) consider high efficiency to be greater than 95db, and many consider low efficiency to be 89db or less. Where does that leave the 90-94db speaker?

ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,897 posts
 

@stereo5,

See chart below:

Mike

 
Sensitivity in dB = 112 + 10 log (efficiency)
 
 Efficiency = 10(Sensitivity in dB – 112)/10 
 

 

Loudspeaker data
Efficiency  Percent  Sensitivity
0.2        20 % 105 dB
0.1        10 % 102 dB
0.05       5 %   99 dB
0.02       2 %   95 dB
0.01       1 %   92 dB
  0.005     0.5 %   89 dB
  0.002     0.2 %   85 dB
  0.001     0.1 %   82 dB

 

105 dB is very efficient and 82 dB is very inefficient
johnnycamp5's avatar
johnnycamp5
124 posts
 

@blisshifi agreed…

Except aren’t we talking sensitivity?

so 90-94db= “medium sensitivity “ lolololol

jmolsberg's avatar
jmolsberg
467 posts
 

this is a great thread! i listen at low/moderate volumes and low powered set amps and high efficient speakers move me the most. 

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,832 posts
 

Unless you are using a class A amp ( The heat of the output tubes or transistors ), there shouldn’t be much of a difference, right? When I had tube mono blocks, I’d swear you could make tomato soup on one and a toasted cheese sandwich on the other.

 JD

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