High sensitivity (99) with mid powered (50 to 100 wpc/tube) amps?
Sorry: my thread title should have read "high sensitivity speakers with mid powered tube amps?"
Are there draw backs or ramifications to running a pair of speakers which list the sensitivity at 99 with amps producing 50 wpc? (Specifically I was looking at a pair of open box KLIPSCH - Forte IV) and specifically I would be driving them with a Cary V12 rated at 50 wpc in triode and 100 wpc in ultralinear. (I know that I have the power to drive them, but I am thinking that they are usually paired with lower powered, such as SET, amps, and I was wondering if they might not be suitable to be paired with a beefier push pull amp.)
What interests me about these speakers in that they seems relatively small (HWD:: 35.75" x 16.63" x 13") and they would be near-field in a quite small room. Would they be a good speaker for near field? (I note that they are pretty low to the ground, tweeter wise) Also I note that they are biwireable, so I could continue to use my current runs of shotgun biwirie.
Also, are the diaphragm compression driver that they list what is also known as horns? And as it is a 3-way speaker with 12" LF drivers, I was thinking that I could retire my ancient sub.
Doing some reading/searches through posts & users say close to the wall is okay (my B&W 805s are close to 4 feet from wall) so that & no sub would make my small room bigger. Is there an "in your face shout" from horn drivers?
Thanks in advance for any input on this.
I was running my Forte IV with a pair of 40 watt Quicksilver mono amps and for me it's plenty of power and sounds great. I also run them with a 300b Amp that's only around 7 watts. Sounds beautiful, but runs out of steam if you crank it up loud. I think that would be a great combo, especially where you can switch between triode and Ultralinear . It's like having an amp with two personalities .
|
@oddiofyl , what catches my interest is their small foot-print. It’s almost as small as the B&Ws I am currently running. They are actually lower than the B&Ws. I don’t think that they would overwhelm the room. I guess what I was initially wondering about was: it seems from all I’ve read that speakers rated with sensitivities in the high 90s were usually paired with (and possibly intended to be paired with?) amps with very low wattage, such as SETs, and that made me wonder if they would NOT pair well with amps producing more power. So I was up late last night reading reviews, and I read one by Steve Huff (who said he loved them) but he initially used with (I think it was) a Cary SLI300 and it was way too noisy. Which then made me think that if your amp made any noise at all, a speaker with an efficiency as high as 99 would really amplify that noise? With that typed, I do not hear any noise from my B&Ws when system is on but no music playing. I do, however, hear an almost inaudible hum if I get up really close to my amps . . . I think it is coming from the transformer(s).. So I was wondering if that would be picked up by a speaker that efficient? As far as their small foot print, would their height of only about 3’ cause a problem with near field listening? I mean my ears would definitely be above the tweeter and I would be close. I know that MD has (I think it is) a 60 day audition period, but despite their (the speakers) relatively small foot print, at 72 Lb.s each, I imagine it would cost a fortune to return them. |
I have been investigating this too — I have Quicksilver Mono 60's (25wpc and up, depending on output tubes) and am looking at Forte IV's and Cornwall's. All I've heard from folks (including on Klipsch forum, which the OP should check out) is mid-powered tube amps sound just lovely with sensitive speakers. Indeed, a buddy of mine who has very sensitive wide baffle speakers (not Klipsch) runs things as low as 8 wpc up to 75 wpc and the speakers always sound great. |
