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Easy to drive, outstandingly natural sound from 40-50 Hz up.....AN-E, O/96, others?

If my goal were to find natural-sounding, dynamic, and efficient speakers that can be driven with a somewhat lower-powered a (i.e., 50-watt SS) amplifier, and that work well with a variety of music, would I be looking at AN-Es, O/96s, or which others?
I am not particularly interested in using a 10-20 watt SET, but being able to use something lower-powered than the 300-watt amplifiers required for my 85dB speakers would open up a lot of other amplifier options and simplify things for me.  I have two fairly high-quality powered subs so the goal would be to fill my (moderately large) room from 40-50 Hz and up and let the subs handle the lower registers.
Any thoughts on the two speakers listed, or recommendations for others?
mitch2
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,577 posts
 
Contrast Audio Model One; 16 ohms, 93 dB.
Audiokinesis- Duke has always made great speakers that are easy to drive.
Many 'full range' speakers like Lowther and Voxitiv can make 50Hz. Voxitive had a very nice sounding room at RMAF; their drivers are around 100dB.




exlibris
438 posts
 
I have Duke's "Swarm" subwoofer system but have never heard his regular speakers.

exlibris
438 posts
 
The full range speaker at the top of my list is the Cube Audio Nenuphar.  It has a 10" driver that is made in-house.  I've also heard good things about the full range drivers from AER.  
My exposure to full range speakers is, however, very limited. 
I've demoed a number of horn speakers but have never truly enjoyed any that I have heard. 
snopro
385 posts
 
I heard the Cube Audio Nenuphar at the CAF and it sounded really good.
Bass went surprisingly deep for a single driver speaker and the midrange was very open and had no shout.  
audiokinesis
2,715 posts
 

Thank you very much, Ralph and exlibris.

I don't really have any speakers that meet mitch2's requirements.  My "fullrange" speakers go deeper than 40-50 Hz, and my "made to be used with subs" speakers cut off higher than that, in anticipation of the Swarm doing a better job than a pair of speakers can in the bass region. 

For instance the main speakers I showed at RMAF last year are designed to cross over to subs up in the mid-to-upper 60's.  I think they meet at  least some of the other criteria though (benign impedance curve, lower-90's efficiency, drivers with characteristics that imply good dynamics).  I won't make sound quality claims because who's gonna believe a manufacturer's opinion of his own products?    

Duke

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