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"Power hungry" speakers

Hi folks, can you please explain to me why certain speakers so demanding with regard to amplifier power? I'm not talking about some notoriously-difficult-to-drive Apogees or some old Thiel models, but about speakers like the Sonus Faber Extrema's. These speakers do not belong to the realm of the less-than-1-Ohm-impedance-drop speakers, but need high powered amplifiers if you want to make them sing. Even 300 Watts wouldn't be enough! What is this for some ridiculous statement (or is this a fact?). What is the explanation for this phenomenon? I do not know much about physics, but I wonder what is happening with those Watts inside the speakers: will they be converted into warmth or something?
dazzdax
sean
6,231 posts
 
El: active crossovers betweem preamp and amps, not passive. Sean
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eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Sean...Actually, low level crossovers can be passive, (I think that Marchand sells one) although that is usually not the case. Anyway, active crossovers are implemented with capacitors.
sean
6,231 posts
 
I could go on a tirade here about how passive crossovers "suck" ( both power and sonically ), but i've already pissed off enough people lately. It's bad enough that those with vented speakers don't like me, i don't need to add those with sealed, TL's, etc... that are passively crossed-over to that list. The amount of people running sealed & stuffed / actively crossed speakers is a pretty slim percentage of all audiophiles out there, so i'll stop while there are at least two or three people that don't want to tar and feather me : ) Sean
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subaruguru
1,375 posts
 
Ah Sean, I still love ya!
gregm
3,405 posts
 
Actually, Sean, passive x-overs CAN be great:) Passive LINE-level x-overs yield excellent!
Goodbuy opamps (good thing, IMO), hello caps (not so good). Or, one could use coils (less losses than caps -- BUT who's got the patience & the workmanship to make them, to required specs...)

But that's still PRECEDING the amps; amps still driving voice-coils directly (an excellent thing IMO).

Overall, the story of our lives seems to be that good/v. good/ excellent amps drive less than stellar quality x-overs, rather than the speakers' drivers... Oh well
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