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How to shop for speakers?

OK, I've got the upgrade bug. My problem is how to evaluate speaker auditions given the limited local choices and the inevitable differences in amplification, room, etc. I have a local dealer who will let me do home audition, but he does not carry 4 of the 5 brands I am interested in after attending RMAF. He is even getting the mfgr to send a pair for my audition. My problem is how do I judge the various speakers given the variability in listening environments and the time lapses between listening. Buying used for home auditioning and selling what I do not like does not seem practical to me given the price range I am looking at - not much available used in this range and too much potential for significant loss with each transaction. Besides what if I sell one I later decide was the best.

My short list after attending RMAF:

B&W 800d or 802d - not so impressed after dealer demo
Dynaudio Confidence C4 - waiting for dealer to get one for demo
Wilson Sasha or Sophia3 - was blown away by the soundstage of the Sophias at RMAF
I would like to audition Revel Salons or Studios or Sonus Faber Elipsa but local dealers are installers and do not have demo capability

My favorite at RMAF was JM Labs Maestro Utopia but they are out of my price range new.

Amplification is McIntosh MC501 ( this makes me a non-audiophile since I read in another thread that audiophiles do not use Mac equipment - I'm fine with that since I really like the music more than the equipment). But, I would like to hook up a MC275 during the hot summer months to listen at low to moderate levels.o

Not sure if this is a gripe or a request for advice, but I will appreciate any guidance that is offered other than the usual " you listen and decide" I already appreciate that.
altbrewer

Showing 3 responses by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,569 posts
 
The issue here is matching- you might want to look at this:
http://www.atma-sphere.com/papers/paradigm_paper2.html

IOW, If you know that you are wanting to use tubes (Mac275), you have to look at speakers that are friendly to tubes. Since tube power tends to be more expensive, I would reject speakers that have low efficiencies (less than 90 db) unless you are in a small room.

Its helpful to look at the designer's intention- does he use tubes or transistors? In many ways, that is the easiest guide to start with. Wilsons, FWIW, are tube-friendly. B&Ws generally are not.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,569 posts
 
Al makes good points; all I want to do here is emphasize something that he mentions about speaker sensitivity:

Sensitivity and efficiency are different measurements! Sensitivity is 2.83 volts at 1 meter, efficiency is 1 watt at 1 meter. Now if you have an 8 ohm speaker, then they are the same. But if you have a 4 ohm speaker, watch what happens: 2.83 volts into 4 ohms is **2** watts. So if you have a 90 db sensitivity speaker that is 4 ohms, its efficiency is 3 db less, 87 db.

Conversely, if you have a 16 ohm speaker that is 90 db sensitivity, its efficiency is 93 db.

Tubes do not double power as you cut the impedance in half, and many transistor amps do. So if you are using tubes, you really have to pay attention to the significance of these figures else they will shoot you in the foot rather quickly!

Its my opinion that the sensitivity figure can be misleading, as it often creates the impression that a speaker is more efficient than it really is. Now whether we like it or not, the amount of power that the amp can make into the load is what we are talking about here- and not all transistor amps double power as the impedance is halved (and certainly no tube amp does...).

My room at home is about 17' x 22'; with 87 db the power levels for any serious dynamics gets a bit crazy- this is why I argue for efficiency if you can get it without compromising resolution and bandwidth, and quite often that is very possible. I make this point as there is a tube amp involved; if you really want to get the performance out of tubes, you owe it to yourself to use them with speakers that work easily with them. Maybe a poor analogy; but this is something like putting decent tires on a sports car that you intend to drive hard...
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,569 posts
 
Hi Tim, I think you have that backwards: sensitivity is 2.83 Volts/1 meter, efficiency is 1 watt/1 meter.
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