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What Speakers Are You Using for Low Power SETs?

Posted by Triode_Kingdom (A) on November 22, 2015 at 23:23:19

I've been using speakers that I constructed myself for roughly the last 18 years. Lacking an anechoic chamber for measurements, I don't really know how accurate they are, but the sound is very smooth and extended. Efficiency is also very good, but not as high as horns. I need at least four or five watts per channel in my livingroom. This power level, although not much by some standards, renders certain low-power SETs impractical. In an effort to alleviate this limitation, I recently brought home a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls. I would have preferred K-horns, but I don't have two spare corners, nor is the room dimensioned properly. Anyway, I've been listening to the Cornwalls for two days, and not yet sure I really like them. Certain passages have a sense of accuracy and presence that I think is lacking in my home-built design, but the Cornwalls also sound much "thinner" and somewhat less enjoyable than my other speakers. At first, I thought it was only that they lack very low bass, because mine have an F3 below 20Hz. However, it seems the effect extends much higher in frequency than that, which makes me wonder if it's an imbalance in the design between the woofer and horns. I also think I'm hearing cabinet colorations in the lower registers, but more listening is needed to be sure of this. I will say that the Cornwalls weigh 30-40% less than my other speakers (similar volume), and they're the original model made with plywood, not MDF.

I intend to audition the Cornwalls for another week or two, at the end of which I want to make a final decision as to the direction I'm headed. I can continue to build larger amplifiers and use my original speakers, or I can move permanently to more efficient speakers like the Cornwalls (perhaps with modifications) or other horns, and start designing smaller amps.

My question is, what are other DIY inmates using with their flea-power SETs? I'm thinking about the 45, 1626 (Darling), etc. Do most of you have ultra-efficient speakers? Or do you simply use the amps in an environment where less SPL is needed? If you're using horns, did you find one of the commercial offerings satisfactory, or did you have to design it yourself? I don't have time for the latter, so if individual effort of this type is required to get the most from smaller SETs, that in itself could make the decision for me.

Any input from those of you with experience in this area will be appreciated.

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