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Efficient speakers near-field listening Taboo

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Posted on April 10, 2020 at 07:39:45
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
I recently became an owner of a Decware Taboo MK III. I've been testing all kinds of headphones on it and the amp does not disappoint. I've always been more of a speaker guy and thought it would be fun to get some efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers for a little nearfield listing. Blumenstein Audio have been on the radar for a long time. Anything else you all would recommend?

 

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Omega's, maybe?, posted on April 10, 2020 at 08:17:23
The Killer Piglet
Audiophile

Posts: 4780
Location: FL
Joined: January 2, 2002
Really loving the Omega SAM's 2 watt 45's.

Immersive, gorgeous experience. More than any headphones (and I have more of those than I should admit to).

SAM's are not bookshelf speakers, but maybe check out the the Super 3's.


KP

 

RE: Omega's, maybe?, posted on April 10, 2020 at 09:01:31
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
Yes! Have been very interested in Omegas for a long time, would need to score some used to keep cost down.

 

Everything is sold out, posted on April 11, 2020 at 01:47:20
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
On their website. This has been the case for a few months. I don't know what it means, for sure. Are they still in business, or run over by the virus?

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 11, 2020 at 04:48:13
Oxymoron. The physics just don't work. 87 to 90dB or so on a desktop for listening while working? Sure. But High Efficiency, unh-unh.

Heard the Omega's when first introduced back in 2003 or so. Nice guy. Good sounding speakers. Efficiency specs, I thought, like all tiny Fostex based base reflex speakers, quite overgenerous.

I listen to my true 97dB, 3.5 cu. ft. speakers from 8 feet away. That's High Efficiency - Nearfield, and would require a really, really big desk ;-}

 

RE: Omega's, maybe?, posted on April 11, 2020 at 10:43:51
Mick Wolfe
Audiophile

Posts: 3350
Location: AZ
Joined: October 10, 1999
Contributor
  Since:
September 4, 2000
Check the Omega forum over at Audiocircle plus the Omega website.

 

RE: Everything is sold out, posted on April 11, 2020 at 21:14:24
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
I think the "buy now" store portion of the site is for odds and ends. All of his primary offerings are made to order, and still very orderable.

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 11, 2020 at 21:15:33
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
B. Scarpia pretty unclear what the point of your post was. Do you have something constructive to contribute?

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 12, 2020 at 03:23:55
vinnie2
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Location: North Carolina
Joined: September 28, 2013
I have my Altec Granada's on a 9' sided triangle with the apex about a foot behind my head and I consider that a near field set up. Speakers are facing the apex and it sounds great. They just disappear and the sound stage is way out front. This is in a very large room (my shop). It can be done with big speakers with very good results.

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 12, 2020 at 03:27:08
vinnie2
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Location: North Carolina
Joined: September 28, 2013
His point was you can't have your cake and eat it too. Pick one or the other; efficient or small, you can't have both.

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 12, 2020 at 07:16:00
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
Thanks for the clarification!

Let me say it back to see if I get it. High-efficiency speakers tend to be single full-range drivers. Those, in theory, should be larger to successfully cover the full range of tonality. And, if I'm tracking, need to be further away from the listener. Is that right? The geometry of sound is always a bit confusing to me.

 

RE: Efficient speakers near-field listening Taboo, posted on April 12, 2020 at 12:27:51
tville3
Audiophile

Posts: 140
Location: South Carolina
Joined: March 25, 2001
I have been a fan of MarkAudio speakers for several years. I have a pair of their CHP-70's and Pluvia 7's. Madisound is selling the Mark Audio Tozzi One kit that just needs a screwdriver and a small wrench to assemble.
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/full-range-speaker-kits/markaudio-tozzi-one-kit-pair/

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 12, 2020 at 14:31:08
Compression drivers, used with horns are almost universally highly efficient. North of 105dB efficient and ned to be padded down to mate with the large 95 to 99 dB efficient mid-woofers in most 2 way bass reflex systems. Klipsch, JBL, Altec, etc. These mid-woofers are more dependent upon the lightness of cone construction and low Xmax for high efficiency than outright size. 10" paper cone drivers with 8mm Xmax can serve equally as well as 12" or 15". The truly high efficiency systems are exclusively horn loaded even into the low bass. While high efficiency cones may go as low as 40 Hz, horn loaded bass is even more limited unless one has a garage or attic available to serve as the horn below about 80Hz.

Single drivers, for the most part, erroneously called full range (they're actually only wide-range) tend to center around 95dB or a little more. These can sound great with 2 watts but will never convey the majesty of organ or romantic symphony. Or Pinball Wizard ;-}

Listening distance is an entirely separate thing, dependent upon where the lobes of the wavefront fall in a room and indeed listening preference. The crossover and horn shape are as large a factor in that as any.



 

RE: Efficient speakers near-field listening Taboo, posted on April 12, 2020 at 14:55:09
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
tville3 those kits look pretty cool. It also reminds me that I have a set of 4" audio nirvana drivers laying around that need a home. Maybe I'll grab one of the Fostex kits from madisound and drop them in.

 

RE: "efficient bookshelf/desktop speakers", posted on April 12, 2020 at 14:55:17
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
B. Scarpia thanks for the detailed breakdown.

I have a pair of 4-inch fostex in rear horn loaded cabinets. The cover the mid-range beautifully, but, I've had to augment with a powered sub and T90A tweeters to get to my happy place.

 

RE: Efficient speakers near-field listening Taboo, posted on April 14, 2020 at 06:44:40
zacster
Audiophile

Posts: 2175
Location: NYC
Joined: November 22, 2003
Woden Lance DIY speakers using a Fostex FF85WK single driver. It is far from the be all and end all of speakers but they are very satisfying for a computer setup. Easy to build too. They are playing as I type this.

 

RE: Efficient speakers near-field listening Taboo, posted on April 14, 2020 at 07:23:47
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
Thanks for the suggestion. Feeling DIY is the way to go for this setup. Nice low-risk opportunity to try putting an enclosure together.

 

Tannoy, posted on April 14, 2020 at 14:33:37
Bill Way
Audiophile

Posts: 1884
Location: Toms River NJ
Joined: May 28, 2012
Contributor
  Since:
December 14, 2012



Used Tannoy Little Red or Little Gold monitors are outstanding, especially as nearfields. Efficiency is around 92 dB. There have been many versions, all good. They are highly resolving, which is why studios like them and some hifi people don't. Bottom end is good to around 40-45 Hz only, but drops off swiftly, making it easy to integrate a sub. Mid-bass is exceptionally detailed. They are better as the Manley ML-10, with the Doug Sax-designed Mastering Lab crossover and Manley's beefy enclosures (pic above). For the ML-10, you supply the 10" drivers, Manley checks them out and installs them in their cabinets. You will need a sturdy place to put them, as the cabinets weigh 50 lbs each, sans driver. They're not cheap - Manley gets about $3k for the pair, and that's with you supplying the drivers.


WW
"Put on your high heeled sneakers. Baby, we''re goin'' out tonight.

 

RE: Tannoy, posted on April 15, 2020 at 07:29:45
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
Always wanted to try a pair of Tannoy. Used Little Reds seem to be reasonably priced.

 

Is your amp 3 watt per channel?, posted on April 17, 2020 at 04:24:35
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001

If I remember correctly it's around 3 watts.

As noted below by B Scarpia - you won't get full scale full volume music but chances are most people operating a desktop system aren't expecting that sort of sound.

Not long back I tested out Line Magnetic's headphone amplifier which can be operated as an integrated and puts out 3 watt per channel. And the store runs the notoriously hard to drive ATC mammoths. In the picture above you can see the little headphone amp sitting on their big 219IA integrated that I used to own.

No the little headphone amp will not pound or rock at high level but it was surprisingly good at moderate levels with moderate music. And again this is a hard to drive speaker.

Looking at Omega or other single drivers - or a standmount from Zu Audio will all be 10 times or more than ten times easier to drive than the ATCs.

My Audio Note OTO is rated 10 watts per channel but measures a mere 4.2 watts per channel undistorted. I ran Audio Note J/SPe speakers 92.5dB in corner - 89.5dB free standing and you could play Guns and Roses at non safe hearing levels. These are what I would call above average high efficiency speakers and moderately high sensitivity speakers.

Since you can run these speakers reasonably well with 3.5 watt Audio Note Vindicator amps in a reasonably sized room then a speaker in that is rated 3dB higher - say 94-96dB and in the near field should be no sweat for a 2-3 watt amp.

I mean let's face it you're not expecting pedal organ bass from Blumenstein.

Lastly, when you post it would really help to provide some basic information like power output of your amplifier and a description of which specific speaker you are looking at and details about them

Blumenstein makes speakers with a 3 inch woofer. They also make a speaker with an 8 inch full range.

 

RE: Is your amp 3 watt per channel?, posted on April 17, 2020 at 12:38:49
DesignTaylor
Audiophile

Posts: 38
Location: Austin, TX
Joined: November 15, 2018
Hey RGA - thanks for your feedback, will try to include more details in my future posts.

Yes, I believe the Taboo is rated at around 3 watts per channel, similar to my 2A3 Bottlehead Stereomour that's 3.5 and I've driven a lot of different speakers with that.

For now, I've decided to get some enclosures (Fostex Full Range Back-loaded Horn Kit) for the pair of Audio Nirvana Classic 4 FERRITE drivers I have laying around from another project that never happened.

I'll try and follow up with a review.

 

RE: Is your amp 3 watt per channel?, posted on August 9, 2020 at 07:58:41
ZENTISH
Audiophile

Posts: 57
Joined: December 16, 2009
Hi, Have you seen the Tiny Radials that Steve has developed at Decware?
Might be just what your looking for.

Good Luck! TISH

 

RE: Tannoy - 60's, posted on August 29, 2020 at 21:43:20
iodemus
Audiophile

Posts: 170
Joined: October 21, 2010
If you can find the older Tannoy 12" Red from 1960's - make an exact copy of the crossover with high quality components and a corner enclosure from solid wood based on the original drawings -
With a McIntosh MC275 or similar -

You will get listening pleasure far better than anything else made today.

 

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