Recommendation for high sensitivity speakers

[JimP]

OK I want to venture into full speakers utilizing my Alamarro A205AmkII that I currently use with my K1000. At the dealer I purchased the Almarro, he was demonstrating it with Zu Druids (?) with tremendous effect. But I need something smaller, suitable for SET amps (technically the Almarro is a 5 wpc single-ended pentode). From my feeble google effort, I find Coincident Triumphs and Zu Cradenza Credanza/Tone, but are there others I should consider??

[n_maher]

Maybe Mike or jp#'s can chime in about the Omega Hemp series? I think they're pretty high efficiency and IIRC they both like the pairs that they had.

[tkam]

I would avoid most of the Zu speakers like they are the plague. I'm not sure how much they've changed the Druid's lately but I when I heard them a year or so ago they sounded absolutely terrible.

Here's some measurements from a review done in 2002: http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/zucable_druid/

[JimP]

I would avoid most of the Zu speakers like they are the plague.

Ok this is the kind of advice I need...this is uncharted territory for me. Any other input/recommendations would be highly appreciated.

[tkam]

Haven't heard the Triumphs but I really like Coincident speakers I don't think you can go wrong with them.

[boomana]

Maybe Mike or jp#'s can chime in about the Omega Hemp series? I think they're pretty high efficiency and IIRC they both like the pairs that they had.

I really enjoyed jp#s Omegas, and think they are work exploring. I'm also quite fond of my Cain & Cain Abbys, but they really need a sub.

[swt61]

I'm loving my Omega Grande Six, but they also need a sub. I'm using AV123 Onix Rocket UFW-10 active subwoofers with great success. I was able to dial them in quite well, for a relatively seamless transition.

All of the Cain & Cain speakers are quite nice IMO.

[tyrion]

Omega makes a good product. Other than the SuperHemp, they all need some assistance from a sub, imo. I've owned the Super, Compact and Super 3 XRS.

[luvdunhill]

I'm loving my Omega Grande Six, but they also need a sub. I'm using AV123 Onix Rocket UFW-10 active subwoofers with great success. I was able to dial them in quite well, for a relatively seamless transition.

All of the Cain & Cain speakers are quite nice IMO.

Which do you prefer these days, the beta22 or the consonance integrated?

[swt61]

That's a tough one. They are each a little different, but both have qualities I like, and each are very good.

I guess Id have to say I'd give a slight nod to the ?22, but not enough so as to keep unhooking the speakers for headphone use. I'm very pleased with the Consonance. Once the Gizmo T-amp is ready for retail I still plan on trying it as well.

[aerius]

The small Coincidents are rather optimistically rated, at best they're around 90dB efficient or so, not the best match for a 5W amp. It'll work but only at low levels, the bass farts out when you try to crank it. Coincident's big speakers work far better with low power amps than their small ones.

Personally, I think size does matter in speakers, especially high efficiency ones. For whatever reason, high efficiency drivers seem to need a larger box or the lows & mids don't sound right, at least to my ears. Stick a Fostex in a bookshelf speakers sized box and it sounds rather forced and strained, either that or the bass needs to be rolled off early to keep it in balance. But put it in a nice floorstander sized box and it opens up nicely, the dynamics are better and it sounds less like a box. I think the same is true of all speakers, but more noticeable in high-eff ones since there's not nearly as much room to EQ and fix things with the crossover without dicking up the sound and killing the efficiency.

My personal choice would be either the Fab Audio Stonehenge or their flagship Model 1. Both will play real loud on 2-3W, and though they're not as neutral as say, a Quad ESL57 or Living Voice OBX-R which are my benchmarks, I find they have far less colourations than Omegas or anything else using Fostex or Lowther drivers. Better than the Reference 3A DeCapo's as well. But they're big, especially the Model 1.

[luvdunhill]

I find they have far less colourations than Omegas or anything else using Fostex or Lowther drivers.

Including a Lowther OB?

[aerius]

Including a Lowther OB?

Depends on how the Lowther OB is run. If it's a just a lowther with a bass fill driver, then yes, but if it's a de-whizzered Lowther with a bass fill and a tweeter that's crossed over at around 4-5kHz, then no.

[luvdunhill]

I was thinking more of the former, case-in-point Nelson Pass's rig

[Dusty Chalk]

The Tannoy Prestige line have high sensitivities, IIRC.

linky (about 1/3 of the way down the page).

There's also the JBL K2 S9800.

[jp11801]

I would strongly recommend the super hemps or the abbeys with a sub. I have wanted to hear the coicident line for some time but do not have a dealer local.

[aerius]

Did I mention that the Coincident factory & showroom is about half an hour or so from my place?

Note to self: I need to make an appointment sometime to check out their new Pure Reference speakers...

[jp11801]

my near term dream rig is a pair of total victory speakers with either wavelength or Frankenstein 300bs

[Jon L]

I would avoid most of the Zu speakers like they are the plague. I'm not sure how much they've changed the Druid's lately but I when I heard them a year or so ago they sounded absolutely terrible.

Here's some measurements from a review done in 2002: http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/zucable_druid/

LOL, not that Soundstage graph again. That was Druids several generations before the current MkIV. If you heard them last year, they were likely MkIV's; what were the rest of that system?

IME Druid MkIV are not giant killers or anything, and 6Moons (yet again) is way too kind to them. However, they are pretty good speakers, their main forte being high sensitivity and full, forgiving, warm sound.

However, a used Cain & Cain Abbey Nearfield (no whizzer) would be the budget recommendation with Almarro.

Stretch the budget, and the Cain & Cain IM Ben is out of this world.

[tkam]

It was either last year or late '06 can't remember really, they really did sound pretty similar to the soundstage graphs though . Very little low-end an aggressive and compressed midrange and not much treble resolution.

JimP, if you don't really have any space constraints you might want to take a look at line arrays.

[JimP]

appreciate all the input, I've never heard of some of these brands/models so it helps me to shortcut the research. (The space constraint comes from wanting to use it in the den where my Almarro serves the K1000, I suppose I could move all this to the living room...that's it, reclaim the living room as rightfully mine -- who wears the pants here?!)

[jp11801]

I heard the Zu's at HES in NYC and they were good until we asked them to rock they failed miserably with led zep

[JimP]

OK I'm kind of circling around the Omega speakers (thanks for tip, never heard of these before this thread), maybe something like the Compact Hemp. They don't have a dealer out here, I've sent an email to see if they would ship to HK. As they're bookshelf type speakers, I hope the shipping wouln't be too prohibitive. This will be for a den, I cannot claim the living room. Not that I put 100% faith in it, but it gives me some comfort that the very few online reviews actually were with Almarro amps, and even the Omega company owner seems to own an Almarro A205A. If they can ship, do you think I should stretch to the Super Hemps? about $600 difference (I could -secretly - just ratchet down from premium organic baby food to normal stuff for a month I suppose...no harm, no foul)

http://www.omegaloudspeakers.com/products.html

[JimP]

I wish I were in US...

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc.pl?spkrmoni&1212371652&auc&3&4&

[JimP]

and this one... :rant:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1216575283