Yes, it is real. High efficiency speakers have a special liveliness all there own. Robert Harley commented on this characteristic in TAS a couple of issues ago in his letter from the editor. Matching these speakers with an SET maximizes this quality. To me the leading edge of the notes seem more clearly defined, not in a harsh, solid state way but in a natural way so that the images seem more lifelike and more three dimensional.
Loudspeaker sensitivity and dynamics: are the two inexorably linked?
Have been listening to quite a few speakers lately, and increasingly I've noticed that more sensitive speakers tend to have better microdyanmics - the sense that the sound is more "alive" or more like the real thing.
The speakers involved include my own Magico A5's, Joseph Audio Pulsar 2's, and Wilson Watt/Puppy 7's, as well as others including the Magico M3, Wilson Alexia V, various Sonus Faber's, Magnepan's, Borressen's, and Rockport models (Cygnus and Avior II).
A recent visit to High Water Sound in NYC topped the cake though: proprietor and vinyl guru Jeff Catalano showed off a pair of Cessaro horns (Opus One) that literally blew our minds (with a few listening buddies). The Cessaro's sensitivity is rated at 97 db, highest among the aforementioned models. That system was very close to live performance - and leads to the topic.
I'm not referring to maximum loudness or volume, rather that the music sounds less reproduced and more that the instrumentation and vocals are more real sounding through higher sensitivity speakers.
Is this a real phenomenon? Or is it more the particular gear I've experienced?
Thoughts?
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I understand the OP's take. Speakers with higher sensivity db ratings do tend to present a livelier sound. However I am experiencing that in a different way now. Since I got the Loki max from Schiit, I can now raise or lower the db in six different frequencies and if all frequencies are raised, the dynamic presentation is at least doubled of what it is when unaltered. Pretty amazing. And you can tone it done if needed just as well. Enjoying the heck out of all the possibilities, specifically for poorly recorded music. |
In my experience with two channel audio, dynamic range is a function of both efficiency and power capacity. When high efficiency and high power capacity are combined, the result is the wide dynamic capability of a loudspeaker. Also having a flat frequency response, flat power response, excellent directivity, very low power compression, wide dispersion and low distortion will contribute to the loudspeakers realism of a live performance at high and low levels. See articles below: 😎 Mike https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-compression-vs-thermal-distortion-loudspeaker-alexander-wilson/ |
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Not necessarily. My Apogee Acoustics Duetta Signature full range ribbon dipole planar speakers (fully restored/upgraded a year ago) are quite inefficient. To sound their best they demand a lot of current. When properly matched with components, particularly well matched speaker cables (Symo LS4X or their equivalent in production today - Artech Prism Time compensated cables), the dynamics are stunning and effortless across the entire frequency range. |
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