We should reject hard-to-drive speakers more often

I think you should FIRST try very hard to find efficient speakers you really want, without even listening to inefficent speakers. Don’t even look sideways at them.

Next: listen to whatever appeals to you, even if low efficiency, KNOWING, power needs will go up accordingly.

So, find a low efficiency speaker you truly want? The best efficent ones you found would be a true compromise?

Forget compromise if you can afford it.

.............

IF the difference is slight, then think long: efficient = less power needed = same benefits as listed below, but now also easier to try tubes= less cost; less heat; smaller; easier placement .... add all those benefits to the speakers, combined a great sounding choice? If tubes, less tubes, less replacement/rolling cost ....

@fikki:  You are trying to drive 3.6:Maggie’s with 65 wpc.  That is never going to work in my experience.  I started with an AR150 amp and it was under powered.  Luckily I found a great pair of McIntosh MC501s (16 years ago).  The sound went from great to amazing.  I use a tube pre amp as I find that is my sweet spot.

IMHO, listen to speakers and find what pleases your ear.  Do not differentiate based upon anything other than how they sound to You.  Then see what is the best way to drive them.  If the cost is beyond your means, then move to the next candidate.  Building a system is a complex algorithm, but keeping an open mind regarding how to get where you want to go is imperative.

Obviously, Maggie’s work for me and the price is having a substantial amp and I accept that.  Others may prefer a different amp and that is cool, but most all 3 series Maggie owners use a beefy amp.

good thing there are so many great speakers out there...no issue to me what other people like, or designers choose to design...if a speaker is very demanding but the buyer is good with that, so be it...

+1 @bdp24. It’s all about the bass. The bass! Not the treble.

Driving speakers effectively that is.

IMO, electrostatic speakers are worth it.  Very worth it.  Like, never imagined recorded music could sound like this, worth it.  Started with Quad63s and now running upgraded Sound Lab M1s. Never going back. But I have had to upgrade my amps. Significantly. Hard to drive.
 

Good news is that class D amps are improving quickly. I’m auditioning a D-Sonic M3a-1200s, based on the Pascal LPro2. Jury still out. But power to price point ratio is so low I had to try it.