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We should reject hard-to-drive speakers more often

Sorry I know this is a bit of a rant, but come on people!!

Too many audiophiles find speakers which are hard to drive and... stick with them!

We need to reject hard-to-drive speakers as being Hi-Fi. Too many of us want our speakers to be as demanding as we are with a glass of wine. "Oh, this speaker sounds great with any amplifier, but this one needs amps that weigh more than my car, so these speakers MUST sound better..."

Speakers which may be discerning of amplifier current delivery are not necessarily any good at all at playing actual music. 

That is all.

erik_squires
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,707 posts
 

It’s not a problem practically in most cases anymore with modern efficient Class D amps. Having choices is a good thing. Most people want their hifis as a whole smaller and less obtrusive these days (if they even want them still at all). Smaller harder to drive speakers with practical more efficient amps needed to drive them solves that problem.  To each their own. 

ricred1
2,072 posts
 

Interesting...I'm considering MBL 101E speakers, but I'm hesitant due to them being hard to try.

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,707 posts
 

You need an amp and speakers to make sound.   As long as the amp is up to the task you are good to go.   Granted many may not realize that their amp is not up to the task. 

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,111 posts
 

Erik: Very much agree about Infinities. I had a pair of the RS-1b’s, which so many people think were/are great. Anyone thinking about getting a pair: be prepared to have them reconditioned. Many of the EMIT and EMIM drivers are now unusable, having been manufactured to pretty low standards. Bruce Thigpen’s Eminent Technology LFT drivers made at the same time as the EMIT and EMIM drivers remain in perfect working condition (I have LFT-4’s made back then). And as you say, the crossovers are junk. But that’s true of the crossovers in most loudspeakers! Maggie owners: pull off the plate on the back of your speakers and look at what the signal is passing through!!

When I read about the Apogees I became instantly uninterested; who wants to have to listen to a Krell amplifier? ;-)

mofojo
2,312 posts
 

Great examples of each but I will say I’ve never really liked any super efficient speakers. I heard some Cornwall 4 when I was buying a sub for a guy and they sounded great for the little bit I heard them but playing music I don’t listen to at not very loud volumes. LOVING my new B&W 801 Matrix. The voicing is just so freaking good for me. Again pigs to drive. 

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