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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
 
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
1,376 posts
 
Ah Sean, I still love ya!
gregm
3,409 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
sean
6,231 posts
 
Op-amps can sound quite good when properly selected and implimented. Obviously, there are vast differences amongst Op-amps. Stereophile ran a very interesting article on the subject a few years back. Sean
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muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Sean, I'm not a techy. I just want to understand where your inverse equation (more efficient = less distortion) figures fit into my least efficient speaker's spectacular performance.

There must be some serious variables skewing the distortion versus efficiency equation. Take, for instance, the tweeter/mid ribbon array in my speakers. My speaker's 50' of naked aluminum ribbons, governing all signal above 700 hz, cost my speakers dearly in efficiency.

I have heard hundreds of vaunted systems at homes, and shows. I wouldn't trade my amp burners for any one of the speakers in those systems.

I honestly have never heard more true to life speakers.
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