Hi efficient speaker, bass problems

Tmsorosk, If I understand you correctly, I hear the same thing, you are not alone.

I just reread this thread, and I don't see any "horn bashing" posted anywhere.
As far as the "free lunch", well, it's been my experience that one usually gets what one pays for. Even the example that Atmasphere offers, is far from free.

For those that might not know, JohnK is a manufacturer of horn loudspeakers.

Dan ed, perhaps I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that field coil drivers usually have power limitations. I would guess that could be a problem with bass drivers.

JohnK, I don't know of an absolute criterion for "hi eff". FWIW, IMHO, 94 dB is starting to get into the fold.

Where is mid-eff then?

Tim, I suppose that's about as good an answer as I could reasonably expect.

Atmasphere, 50 Watts is not very high, but, if they are indeed 109 dB watt/1 meter your point is well taken. That is, if that's the free standing sensitivity.

Duke, some of us are not so enamored with the sound of most loudspeakers with ported bass.

Wesixas, we may be splitting hairs here, but, I agree even more with your criterion. Of course the impedance will have to be figured in as well.

Duke, as you say "...but sealed boxes sound just plain have more natural-sounding bass than vented boxes!" Now I'm guessing (and really ALL this is just guessing on my part,) this is because after the bass driver emits, the vent lags after driver, then the room lags after the driver, then the room lags after the vent. That's a lot lagging. Then of course, unless your using separate subs, the loudspeakers when placed near the walls will have early reflections from midrange on up, smearing that all important range. Now if you do have separate subs, in order to keep any semblance of time coherence your going to have to introduce some sort of time manipulation. Since your already going to have to manipulate the signal, you might as well just consider bass eq from the full range loudspeakers out from the walls in the first place. Which should have the added benefit of better driver integration and more free floor space.

Duke, we have all read that bass is omni-directional, and yet very often it's very easy hear where the sub-woofer is (perhaps it's because the overtones appear to come elsewhere?). Despite the theories, some of us clearly prefer the sound of sealed boxes over ported ones. As the old cliche' goes; "the proof of the pudding is in the eating".

Weseixas, I would think it would be much easier to get correct phase with a sealed box than with a port.