How important is the efficiency of a speaker to you?


I went to an audio meeting recently and heard a couple of good sounding speakers. These speakers were not inexpensive and were well built. Problem is that they also require a very large ss amp upstream to drive them. Something that can push a lot of current, which pretty much rules out most low-mid ( maybe even high) powered tube amps. When I mentioned this to the person doing the demo, i was basically belittled, as he felt that the efficiency of a speaker is pretty much irrelevant ( well he would, as he is trying to sell these speakers). The speaker line is fairly well known to drop down to a very low impedance level in the bass regions. This requires an amp that is going to be $$$, as it has to not be bothered by the lowest impedances.

Personally, if I cannot make a speaker work with most tube amps on the market, or am forced to dig deeply into the pocketbook to own a huge ss amp upstream, this is a MAJOR negative to me with regards to the speaker in question ( whichever speaker that may be). So much so, that I will not entertain this design, regardless of SQ.

Your thoughts?

128x128daveyf

Noise/distortion --> the room and the speakers trump whatever anyone’s attributing to any decent amp.

It’s like you’re having your carriage pulled by a dying horse, but you’re dead focused on greasing the wheels with some special oil secreted on a blue moon night.

 

 

@rauliruegas I cannot comment too much on the sound of the Parasounds and the speaker at this fellow’s room. I heard the combo briefly, but do remember thinking that the synergy was not there between the components.

Keeping in mind that the speakers in question drop down to around 1ohm in the bass, resulting in a speaker that very few amps can drive to anything that can bring about their best. Nonetheless, the Parasounds were not an amp that resulted in this fellow being impressed with the combo.

Keeping in mind that the speakers in question drop down to around 1ohm in the bass, resulting in a speaker that very few amps can drive to anything that can bring about their best. 

Any speaker that drops to 1 ohm was designed by a lazy low IQ individual. Such a speaker (his low IQ legacy) should be torn down and thrown in the garbage can.

@deep_333 LOL, there are a number of well respected speakers that drop down to 1ohm. I won’t consider them for purchase; but I suspect that most folks will not label their designers...’lazy low IQ individuals’! The speakers I was listening to in my OP come from a well known designer who has had several ’amp busting’ speakers on the market in the past.

Dear @daveyf  : About the JC 1+ I was refering to the speakers in demo by the seller in your OP and not about the owner of those Parasound amps that btw can handled with out problem to high SPL that 1 ohm impedance.

 

R.