@yoyoyaya It's a very good point. The Kef Reference 1 Meta is an excellent example.
I wish someone would loan me one of those, there is some truly wonky stuff going on in their crossover.
Basic question about sensitivity
Obviously I am mistaken, and I am positive that this has been covered before, but I had thought that the higher the number (sensitivity) the easier the speaker was to drive. However, when I read a thread in which someone is talking about a speaker they have or are interested in, I frequently do a cursory search and a little bit of reading about it, and, for example, a while ago I read a review & specs on the Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G with a sensitivity rating of either 90 or 91 (which I would have thought at one time meant it was a pretty easy load to drive) but the recommended amp was 100 to 250 wpc.
On the other hand, I just did a search and some reading on the Harbeth P3ESR XD which has a sensitivity rating of 83 (which at one time I would have thought meant it was a tough load to drive) but they are recommending amps "from 15 wpc".
What is the number listed for a speakers sensitivity actually meaning?
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@elliottbnewcombjr , I am presently running a Cary tube amp (EL 34s). Prior to the Cary I owned a pair of ARC VTM 120s (6550s). Prior to that I ran a smaller Cary. |
@OP and Erik_Squires, I just took another look at the LS50 Meta's measurements - it has a couple of tough impedance/phase dips in the bass and low midrange and it's insensitive, so might not be the best choice for the amp in triode mode. However, the crossover design choices have yielded a really very fine set of measurements otherwise. |
@yoyoyaya , my amp does have 4 ohm taps. Do you think that might compensate for "tough impedance/phase dips in the bass and low midrange"? And what did you mean by
?
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@OP what I meant by polarising is that some people love LS50s and other's for some reason don't like them at all. In fact, that may be due to the fact that they are a tough speaker to drive. I went back and had a look at John Atkinson's measurements for your V12. On paper, even accounting for the 4 Ohm tap, they don't look like an ideal match for one another - due to the tough load and limited efficiency. However, a lot depends on what kind of music you listen to and what volume you listen at. |
- 44 posts total