High Sensitivity Speakers

[S. Ghosh]

???
This is not the 1970s any more. Amplifier power is cheap as chips.

A Behringer iNuke NU6000 used to sell for about 10% of your current speaker budget. 1500 W / 8 ohm x2. No doubt not the last word in refinement (neither in sonics nor in fan noise), but if you had a sub array to drive these may have been just the ticket.

I have to ask - what sort of levels in what kind of room size and distance do you require? Must be pretty big either way.

For another candidate, I would look at JBL's SRX835 as well. They're also making an active version SRX835P with a total combined amplifier power of 1500 W continuous, but I would be worried that their noise level may be more up to PA standards than hi-fi ones. We are talking 137 dB of max SPL after all. These are good for concerts with several hundred people outdoors, apparently. (Ah, pre-Coronavirus times...)

Small room
Room size 13' × 11' . Height 10'

 

[S. Ghosh]

Small room
Room size 13' × 11' . Height 10'

Speaker to listner distance 6'

 

[Helicopter]

JBL, Focal, Revel... the bigger the better. more cone area and cabinet volume should mean more volume.

I have a couple pairs of klipsch and i wouldn't recommend them as primary speakers. I have heresys and some pro horn speakers from the 90s, both pretty loud. They are not hifi, but they are amp friendly if you have a picky and weak tube amp or something.

What amp are you using?

Edit: or DIY something like a Cornscalla D with better crossover if you really want something sensitive.

 

[617]

Avoid the Klipschs and Omegas. The efficient Klipsch's are primitive, old fashioned designs, and Omega appears to make full range driver speakers which are all garbage.

So far the JTR speakers are your best bet suggested here.

The dynamic capabilities of big dynamic speakers are unique and I think it is a legitimate priority in setting up a stereo if the size, cost and appearance work for you.

 

[Helicopter]

JBL SRX800 series. Bigger will be more sensitive. These are not hifi either. At some point you give up some frequency response for horns and cone area to get tons of sensitivity.

 

[amper42]

Small room
Room size 13' × 11' . Height 10'

If 13' x 11' is the room size I would get a pair of $1700 BMR's and be very happy.
http://philharmonicaudio.com

 

[richard12511]

My money would probably be on the JBL's SRX835 for that price.

 

[Zedly]

Speaker to listner distance 6'

Why are you so concerned about high sensitivity when you sit so close in a relatively small room? At 6 feet away, a speaker with a sensitivity of 89 dB can produce 100 dB SPL (very loud) using only around 40W of power. A speaker sensitivity of 91 dB reduces the power to 26 W. What makes you think you need a highly sensitive speaker?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Small room
Room size 13' × 11' . Height 10'

Speaker to listner distance 6'

This is about the size of my living room, and a distance at which most people would opt for an 8", 2x 6.5" or maybe 2x 8" class speaker, possibly with sub support. With a typical 100 wpc (= +20 dBW) amplifier, I see little point in having a speaker sensitivity higher than about 90 dB / 2.83 V / m... typically something 2x 8" or 1x 10" woofer. That would be good for up to 110 dB SPL, which already is a higher than average threshold in the realm of speaker playback and more the kind for loud headphone listeners.

A literal PA speaker or equivalent (>95 dB / 2.83 V / m, substantial power handling) would seem vastly oversized in these conditions, unless you are half-deaf.

 

[S. Ghosh]

JBL, Focal, Revel... the bigger the better. more cone area and cabinet volume should mean more volume.

I have a couple pairs of klipsch and i wouldn't recommend them as primary speakers. I have heresys and some pro horn speakers from the 90s, both pretty loud. They are not hifi, but they are amp friendly if you have a picky and weak tube amp or something.

What amp are you using?

Edit: or DIY something like a Cornscalla D with better crossover if you really want something sensitive.

Amp : Accuphase E-206

 

[S. Ghosh]

This is about the size of my living room, and a distance at which most people would opt for an 8", 2x 6.5" or maybe 2x 8" class speaker, possibly with sub support. With a typical 100 wpc (= +20 dBW) amplifier, I see little point in having a speaker sensitivity higher than about 90 dB / 2.83 V / m... typically something 2x 8" or 1x 10" woofer. That would be good for up to 110 dB SPL, which already is a higher than average threshold in the realm of speaker playback and more the kind for loud headphone listeners.

A literal PA speaker or equivalent (>95 dB / 2.83 V / m, substantial power handling) would seem vastly oversized in these conditions, unless you are half-deaf.

Based on your own advice, any suggestion about speaker make and model would be highly appreciated.

 

[Helicopter]

Focal Aria 926... or Kanta no 1.

 

[S. Ghosh]

Why are you so concerned about high sensitivity when you sit so close in a relatively small room? At 6 feet away, a speaker with a sensitivity of 89 dB can produce 100 dB SPL (very loud) using only around 40W of power. A speaker sensitivity of 91 dB reduces the power to 26 W. What makes you think you need a highly sensitive speaker?

To get full dynamics at a very low volume .

 

[mhardy6647]

To get full dynamics at a very low volume .

That is, in fact, a good reason (IME and IMO).
That's what we do here -- but with mostly vintage drivers and (admittedly) fleapower amplification.
Plenty of dynamics from soft to loud.

DSC_0938 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_0144 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

You might want to look at Wayne Parham's "Pi" loudspeakers/kits/designs, @S. Ghosh
https://www.pispeakers.com/contents.html
Full disclosure -- I have zero ears-on experience with any of them myself.

 

[Helicopter]

That is, in fact, a good reason (IME and IMO).
That's what we do here -- but with mostly vintage drivers and (admittedly) fleapower amplification.
Plenty of dynamics from soft to loud.

DSC_0938 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_0144 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

You might want to look at Wayne Parham's "Pi" loudspeakers/kits/designs, @S. Ghosh
https://www.pispeakers.com/contents.html
Full disclosure -- I have zero ears-on experience with any of them myself.

I really wish I knew where to get Belden 9497 by the foot, for like $.92

 

[mhardy6647]

I really wish I knew where to get Belden 9497 by the foot, for like $.92

It's pretty reasonable on eBAY, or are you being facetious?

 

[Helicopter]

It's pretty reasonable on eBAY, or are you being facetious?

No I meant it. Mouser is so much cheaper...but only in 1000 foot rolls. I can't bring myself to buy either... eventually I'll probably get the roll, but not too soon since my wife is not going to like it.

 

[mhardy6647]

No I meant it. Mouser is so much cheaper...but only in 1000 foot rolls. I can't bring myself to buy either... eventually I'll probably get the roll, but not too soon since my wife is not going to like it.

I would probably go 500 feet, and definitely 200 -- even I cannot rationalize buying a thousand feet of the stuff, though.

I really want to try the Duelund wire (shh... don't tell ASR! whoops...)

 

[More Dynamics Please]

Would love to see them measured, as design-wise I consider them mini-JTR.

Economy-JTR would be another apt description. I don't think PSA uses quite the same quality drivers and Baltic birch construction as JTR which results in a cost savings. For example comparing the smallest model from each with single 10" woofer and 1" compression driver the JTR Noesis 110HT sells for $1,250 while the PSA MT-110 goes for $775. Exactly how much performance PSA gives up to JTR would require measurement as you point out. By specs alone while both are rated at 95dB sensitivity the Noesis 110HT is rated up to 750W RMS while the 110HT is rated up to 175W.

 

[MZKM]

Economy-JTR would be another apt description. I don't think PSA uses quite the same quality drivers and Baltic birch construction as JTR which results in a cost savings. For example comparing the smallest model from each with single 10" woofer and 1" compression driver the JTR Noesis 110HT sells for $1,250 while the PSA MT-110 goes for $775. Exactly how much performance PSA gives up to JTR would require measurement as you point out. By specs alone while both are rated at 95dB sensitivity the Noesis 110HT is rated up to 750W RMS while the 110HT is rated up to 175W.

Yeah, not sure about PSA, but we know JTR can make well measuring speakers thanks to Matt Poes, so it would be great to see JTR have at least some stuff on their site, especially when they have 2 models where the only difference is the compression driver is swapped for a coaxial compression driver. However, that 110HT is a 10” coaxial speaker, I am hesitant to believe it measures well (their normal speakers have a large waveguide for the tweeter to pair with the large woofers).