Recommendations for high efficiency speakers

[recstar24]

Hey guys,

Well I am trying to start my research into speakers...again. Last time I went into it kind of half assed, and it actually didn't turn so bad last time. Picked up some moth cicadas that mated with my old moth s2a3 and I thought they were pretty great for the price and the fact they were single drivers - very coherent, beautiful midrange, nice full tone, but obviously lacking the low end registers. I would say down to 50 it was pretty solid. the omega hemps had the bass but they were somewhat sharp on the high end and had nowhere near the midrange magic of the cicadas.

Budget is probably under a $1000 (unfortunately). Maybe I could swing a littler higher but I should keep it under a grand if not as low as possible. WAF and size in general is VERY important, the room is 18 x 24 but with our current furniture setup in that particular room, my actual listening distance I imagine would be maybe 4-6 feet at most. Do not have much flexibility for placement nor extra budget for room treatment and tuning (unfortunately). Using my moth, the 2a3 outputs 3 watts and I believe the 45 outputs maybe 2 watts max.

[deepak]

Can you DIY? The possibilities open up a lot more if you can go that route.

[recstar24]

Can you DIY? The possibilities open up a lot more if you can go that route.

Unfortunately not - just don't have the time or workstation to devote to such a project. However I am not opposed to commissioning someone (wink wink nate:p)

[909]

get the cicadas and incorporate a sub. craig suggested the sub idea to me, but i've yet to move on it.

[deepak]

Darn, I haven't liked any of the cheap commercially built single driver speakers that I heard. My biggest complaint is not the lack of extension on either end, it's that they all colored the music to their own tune and never got out of the way

[Torpedo]

Darn, I haven't liked any of the cheap commercially built single driver speakers that I heard. My biggest complaint is not the lack of extension on either end, it's that they all colored the music to their own tune and never got out of the way

Yep, the high sensitivity and affordable speakers market is full of compromises. Even of the big very expensive ones is. My advice is that you tried to listen to a few ones with your amps and took the ones you found more satisfying for your taste and priorities.

Rgrds

[Augsburger]

get the cicadas and incorporate a sub. craig suggested the sub idea to me, but i've yet to move on it.

I agree with 909 and torpedo. I tried for two years to find a single driver speaker that sounded real and alive for me but every example was lacking something, whether it was the midrange punch or the coloring at the upper mids and treble. I built some single drivers in a BLH configuration which is supposed to handle the bass and midrange issues prevalent ins single driver configurations but.......not so. When I added a sub woofer that changed the game entirely. There are a lot of subs available in that price range so you should be OK if you decide to go that route.

Edit: You may need to add a passive pre to that budget figure since most active subs have RCA inputs which I think produces a better sound than using the speaker terminals. YMMV.

[tkam]

Darn, I haven't liked any of the cheap commercially built single driver speakers that I heard. My biggest complaint is not the lack of extension on either end, it's that they all colored the music to their own tune and never got out of the way

That's typically just the nature of single drivers speakers in my experience.

[luvdunhill]

Darn, I haven't liked any of the cheap commercially built single driver speakers that I heard. My biggest complaint is not the lack of extension on either end, it's that they all colored the music to their own tune and never got out of the way

Try to hear these:

http://www.feastrex.com/

Sorry for your wallet in advance, though....

[Augsburger]

Ha Ha Ha those will blow his budget to hell and back. They do sound good though.

[luvdunhill]

Ha Ha Ha those will blow his budget to hell and back. They do sound good though.

[n_maher]

I checked the US distributor for those drivers and can't find any pricing information, am I looking in the wrong spot?

[recstar24]

Darn, I haven't liked any of the cheap commercially built single driver speakers that I heard. My biggest complaint is not the lack of extension on either end, it's that they all colored the music to their own tune and never got out of the way

Yeah I can see where you are coming from. To my ears they mostly share a lean, thin sounding characteristic. The colorations will either align with your musical tastes and listening style or not. If anything the cicadas had the best tone and midrange transparency of all the single drivers I listened to - fostex, lowther, plus all the variations of those drivers in between share that lean thin sound, except the cicadas, which sound quite full and warmish, but they have the speed and coherency of the single drivers.

I am not opposed to 2 or 3 way designs, even though I know cheap versions of effiecient 2 and 3 ways are not many. I can think of vintage klipsch like the cornwalls or the smaller heresy's but the cornwalls I don't think I could even fit and the hereseys I really don't have the corners to plug them into to get the bass. Coincident seems to be the one company that can make very efficient multi driver designs but they are expensive.

[recstar24]

Decware's Audiophile Loudspeakers

Doubt anyone has heard them, can't find too many impressions, but what are your thoughts on the design?

[recstar24]

get the corner horns

Arg, looking at my layout don't think I have the corners for them, if so, I would have bit on cornwalls a long time ago. I would have to reorganize the room completely and I know the wife wouldnt be too happy with that:palm:

[n_maher]

Ryan,

If you could find a pair of Cain and Cain's locally you might be able to slide them in under budget. Although that's probably pretty damn unlikely.

[aerius]

I've seen Fab Audio Stonehenge speakers pop up on Audiogon from time to time, I remember a set going for around $1500. Other than that the only thing I can think of is a DIY open baffle design of some sort based on the Visaton B200 driver with your choice of supplemental bass fill driver.

[luvdunhill]

I checked the US distributor for those drivers and can't find any pricing information, am I looking in the wrong spot?

They are one of those "don't ask if you cannot afford it items". I think the standard D9nf are around $7k a pair and depending on options, they can fetch double that.

[n_maher]

They are one of those "don't ask if you cannot afford it items". I think the standard D9nf are around $7k a pair and depending on options, they can fetch double that.

[Augsburger]

They are one of those "don't ask if you cannot afford it items". I think the standard D9nf are around $7k a pair and depending on options, they can fetch double that.

And who around here can buy anything in "standard dress" aka no options?

[luvdunhill]

some of my gear is bone stock.

your ears?

[luvdunhill]

the Capitole and the Quicksilver.

stock IC and power cables?

[luvdunhill]

neither came with a power cable, so i'm using my standard ol' volex cables. mogami ics i put together.

ha! (I think). Burn-in also counts as non-stock.

[Augsburger]

Kenny G is stock, all else is an upgrade.......

[recstar24]

(...waving hand in back of classroom...) Helloooo guys, remember me, attention please, focus on me me me thank you:p