Efficient speakers -- What was your journey from A to B to ?

@doyle3433 
Appreciate your input! I am very interested in the Volti Razz. A fully formed midrange? Sign me up. @decooney mentioned them to me, too. Thanks for the tip about the Florida Expo!

@markmuse  My listening with the Spatial had the same downside and there was a lack of focus. Maybe it was just that particular setup. I am very curious about the Fyne, for sure. The Caladan is another interesting one, not least because of the silk dome. A gentle touch! Thanks for your comments.

@glennewdick Helpful remarks. Not sure why Fyne qualifies as a "knock off" just because there was some personnel which went from Tannoy to Fyne. The Living Voice really pique my interest. Thanks!

@jtcf  I've heard that QS and Klipsch are a good match -- thanks for affirming that.

@burtlake  Devore was on my list for a while, but after hearing the 0/96 I don't think they're quite my taste. Very expensive, too. But if I could get them in my house for a trial (never gonna happen) I could be sure. I'll let you know what happens and thanks for your comment.

@blisshifi  DIY sounds like an good avenue. Voxativ sounds interesting and I might be able to hear some, locally. Thanks for you input.

I don’t have much to add but have been using horn speakers (JBL 4367) for about a year now.

One thing I will say is there is almost always a trade off with bass extension. You are either going to have huge speakers or no bass depth if you want high efficiency. I personally think the solution is to add subs unless you have a very large budget.

For me the advantages (dynamics) out weigh the negatives. I will be using horns longterm at this point. It has been a revelation for me, everything just sounds less produced.

@hilde45 Not to trash on Devore, but I agree. I’ve had a few of John’s speakers on my floor, and they are too overpriced for their performance IMHO. The outside cabinets are attractive, but the innards leave much to be desired. They are not bad sounding, but there are many better alternatives in the market, many which are already mentioned on this thread. 

@james633 I have 3 subs and miniDSP to dial them in, so your suggestion is very apropos. Thanks.

@blisshifi They are very "cool" speakers and I've liked them when I heard them, but for my tastes and wallet, I've moved away from an early fixation on them. There's a lot out there and everyone has to decide what has value, but for their price -- $15,900 MSRP -- one would have to be comfortable leaving a lot of other options in the dust. That does not add up for me.

As a DIY’er and if I did not already build my own, and I was on a path for my next fleawatt amp efficiency speakers out there in DIY form, I’d be tempted to try one of Troel’s higher efficiency DIY offerings. Kinda cool, seems like a value to review. Lots of happy owners out there. Have not heard them though... nice parts. http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/HESintro.htm