Loudspeaker sensitivity and dynamics: are the two inexorably linked?

I've heard plenty of high efficiency speakers: Klipsch Forte, Heresy IV, La Scalla, etc., JBL L82, Zu, and others, and all the ones I've heard,  trade off their efficiency for (IMO) less than optimum timbral accuracy, lack of a focused and layered soundstage, greater frequency response aberrations. And most of them, to me, seem to create a veneer of sounding like a PA system, that overlays everything. 

@simonmoon , this has to be the post of the month!

@bobbydd 

Not 'inexorably linked' at all....Since high fidelity gobs of power is quite affordable these days, it is largely silly to chase high sensitivity speakers any more.

My Schweikerts rated at  88db are explosively dynamic and will startle the living daylights out of you.

High sensitivity folks (not efficiency)

Ive had lots of all the above (and still have many of both). One mans "dynamic range" is another mans "loud" or "in your face" so its a hard subject to discuss.

IME yes, high sensitivity = more "dynamic range"

@deep_333 wrote:

... Since high fidelity gobs of power is quite affordable these days, it is largely silly to chase high sensitivity speakers any more.

If only it was that simple. 

@phusis 

86 dB

Hello all,  I don't dive in much these past couple of years. The old timers know that I have a speaker back ground and it is where I occasionally chime in.  So the question:  Are they inexorably Linked?  No, not inexorably at all, but they are somewhat linked. So what is Dynamic Range in speakers?  For easy terms, lets call it speed, the ability to move from very low volume to high volume and back without breaking a sweat or touching the volume!

Whether you have a 10 watt amplifier or a 1000 watt amplifier, there is no doubt that the amp will drive a 97db sensitivity speaker dramatically easier than a 83db speaker.  I have both right now.  When you have a high sensitivity speaker, an amplifer has power reserve,  it can loaf and still drive that speaker easily.  There are amplifiers that may be decent, but not enough current reserve to handle difficult loads, then when you combine that with low sensitivity , you have a combination that sucks the life out of dynamics. Remember, you have to double your power to add 3db in volume.   When you gain the factor of high sensitivity, say 10db more sensitive that same decent amplifier now never has to be pushed hard to deliver great performance, you will find pace and dynamics both improved when an amplifier is not pushed. When an amplifier is well built with a great power supply and has CURRENT to spare and is loafing to boot,  you will find dynamics galore in a high sensitivity speaker.  Mind you, you can have a high sensitivity speaker that may not be so dynamic.  Difficult impedance loads and inductance clearly matter with an amplifier producing its best dynamics. 

So in the big picture,  a highly sensitive speaker that is well designed for a smooth impedance curve and lower inductance definitely will be more dynamic with most amplifiers than with the opposite type speaker,  but that doesn't mean a low sensitivity speaker cannot be dynamic.  If you have a well designed amplifier with the proper current capability,  Lower sensitive, well designed speakers can have great speed, air and transparency, no doubt.