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.
@atmasphere Wrote:
I agree! Look at the Quicksilver Horn Mono amplifier, it is designed specifically for use with very efficient speakers and it's affordable. See here! FWIW, my speakers have an efficiency of 2.7% and sensitivity of 96dB. 😎 Mike |
@atmasphere Thanks for the input and advice, Ralph! |
Thanks, @ditusa , but I am having to stretch things to get into new speakers . . . an new amp is out of the question. I think, however, if something happened in my life that allowed me to start (somewhat) fresh, I'd like to go the low powered SET route (I was specifically thinking about some of the Dennis Had stuff) with speakers in the high 90s. |
@immatthewj If you use a lower powered SET (up to 7 Watts or so, which might be a 300b), the speakers really should have sensitivity/efficiency in the 100s. Zero feedback SETs have about 20-25% usable output power (relative to full power) because higher ordered harmonics show up above those power levels, causing the amp to sound 'dynamic' (since power is most needed on the leading edge of transients) because the ear uses higher ordered harmonics to figure out how loud sounds are. When the 'loudness cues' are only on the transients you get that 'dynamic' quality but its really how distortion is interacting with the ear. Also if you push the amp it will sound 'loud' because of these harmonics, which is why so many people say they really don't need that much power. There are sound pressure level apps for your phone that will winnow out the truth of that- you find that 'loud' is considerably lower than you might expect. So if you really want to hear them do what they do best, you need a very efficient speaker! When the amp has less higher ordered harmonics its very natural to turn the volume up higher and use greater power; its the mark the better systems that they do not sound 'loud' at any volume! There are lower powered PP amps (5-20 Watts, class A) that have considerably higher usable power (90-95% instead of 20-25%) and are every bit as involving and musical as the best SETs, but with wider bandwidth and greater detail as well. |
