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Jack G, others, what speakers for SET amp?

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Posted on March 30, 1999 at 08:35:00
I have a Quicksilver GLA that I love, but would love to step off into single ended country. However, my speakers are Totem 1's, which work great with the GLA, but might not do as well with 3 watts total power. Any suggestions on speakers? Seems like speakers everyone raves about don't work with SET's and everyone with a SET is in search of a good speaker. I really would like to find one at about the same price point as my Totem's, say $1500 or less. Anyone ever try the Totems with a SET?

 

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Thats tough, posted on March 30, 1999 at 09:42:54
Jack G


 
Not much in that price range. Some of it will depeind on the amp you get. Spendors work well with SETs asdo mordant shorts. There's always Klipsh. Are you thinking 2A3 or 300B or other? that WILL make a difference.
good luck,
Jack

 

Leaning towards 2A3...., posted on March 30, 1999 at 10:05:05
After your glowing comments. Actually, most of the 300B amps are beyond what I would currently want to part with interms of cash. I don't want to get the magic of a SET amp but have to settle for a speaker that can't come close to my Totem's. I may just have to sit on the sideline a bit longer until someone develops a nice $1,500 98 db speaker that doesnt make the compromises of a speaker like the lower end Klipsch models. I have heard Klipsch sound OK with tubes, but not a very refined sound. Kinda warm and tubby on bottome and just barely under control on top. Well, if you here of anything that is magic with your amp Jack, let us know!

 

Re: Leaning towards 2A3...., posted on March 30, 1999 at 10:51:10
Doc B.


 
Hang in there guys. The sensitive speaker thing has gone the same way as SE amps, starting with good sounding offerings only at the very expensive end. But there are bound to be some less expensive alternatives in the future, just as has happened with SE amps.
The laws of physics demand lots of magnet for a sensitive wide range speaker, and that means $$$. It can also mean very large cabinets for adequate bass response. There are some ways around this, many smaller magnets can actually be a lot less expensive than one big one. This is the approach we plan to take to get a less expensive kit of reasonable size on the market. The horn approach has so far proven to be the king of dynamics and sensitivity, but I don't forsee the prices dropping much anytime soon because of the expense of producing the horns themselves.
We started experimenting 5 years ago with multiple driver arrays as an alternative which would allow easy cost effective cabinet construction, another big factor in the price of today's speakers. It is no more perfect an approach than any other, there are certainly problems to address, but I think we have shown it has some merit with our past experimental designs. And I think we can put out an easily assembled reasonably sized 96 dB sensitive kit that will hold its own pretty well in the marketplace.
I have a hunch that you will see a lot more manufacturers experimenting with the multiple driver approach in the future, and I think there will also be some interesting new materials and techniques available for cost effective horn molding soon, so hang in, they're coming.
We hope to have our speaker ready in the next few months, and then I guess my theories will be on the line...

 

Re: Leaning towards 2A3...., posted on March 30, 1999 at 11:02:29
Jack G


 
There's Lowther, but i've heard mixed things about them-apparently Galante has come out with a new line of semi-affordable speakers, but I have noi comment. Cary makes some kits too. it tough if your on a tight budget.
Jack

 

Mr B. Edgar may have something for you., posted on March 30, 1999 at 11:31:30
Edp


 
I have heard a significantly smaller version from him two times. It is in the $1800 to $2000 range. I am not certain if it will do flea amps, but he hardly seems to run any double digit amps. They are not too big either, about Vandersteen size. Runs two Focal midbass units in a horn loaded enclosure. It will not give you thunderous bass, but it does a very fine job at the rest of the spectrum. It will not ,though, make you forget about his "real" creations.

 

Re: Leaning towards 2A3...., posted on March 30, 1999 at 14:36:59
Doc B.


 
We'll be showing a new Lowther front horn that I feel shows a great deal of promise in the next issue of VALVE, but this is not what I'd call a budget approach. The PM2As are around $1150 the pair, and the horns are about $520 the pair. Then you have to find subwoofers...

 

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