Wide dispersion + high efficiency + detail + coherence in a speaker?


And coherence is the biggest point! I like the liveliness of single driver speakers but I am looking for something with coherence AND bass! High efficiency is important for liveliness, and wide dispersion for a huge sweet spot and instruments in the room presentation.

Any recommendations?
128x128zuio

Showing 2 responses by atmasphere

sometimes you can even hear the horn honk coloration on voices...I know some horns don't have this..
You are right- some horns don't have that at all. It all depends on how well the throat of the horn is designed; many don't have the benefit of computer optimization but some, like the Classic Audio Loudspeakers, do. This makes them very free of any 'traditional horn' artifacts. The Kapton surrounds help as well, since the driver won't break up if driven at too low a frequency.  Often you can't get away with a 6 db slope on a compression driver, but the Kapton surround allows for exactly that.
Take a look at some of the AV Showrooms videos on YT. Peter never seems to have any complaints about the Classic Audio Loudspeakers.
A budget has not been mentioned.
One speaker that has solved similar desires I have in a speaker is the Classic Audio Loudspeaker. I have the model T-3.3.

It is 98 db, 16 ohms, goes from 20Hz to 35KHz. The all important midrange is a beryllium diaphragm compression driver that is field coil powered. The field coils insure that the speaker is very fast since unlike permanent magnets, when you put amplifier current in the voice coil the magnetic field does not sag in turn. This speeds up the driver; on top of that the beryllium construction (with a Kapton surround) means that the first breakup is at about 35KHz, so not only is the speaker fast but its smooth, very much like an ESL, but with considerably greater overall efficiency. The crossovers are 6db with Mundorf capacitors. The Kapton surround allows the compression driver to go down lower than its horn does, so its very free of artifacts and the drivers blend effortlessly- it is very cohesive.

As far as dispersion goes, that is the weak point, but its really only the higher frequencies- the speaker images easily and the sweet spot is wide if you are back more than 8 feet. I have my speakers about six inches from the wall behind them and they image quite well, so despite their size they are easy to set up in most rooms. I can play the system softly and hear every note, if I play higher volumes its so effortless I can't tell how loud its playing unless I try to talk to someone sitting next to me.

In a nutshell this speaker is one of the most uncolored, revealing speakers I've heard; its really easy to drive and no need for a sub- it goes down lower than a a lot of subs do (dual 15" woofers in each cabinet).