Can you tell me why I didn't like the Reference 3a MM's?


So I recently asked about a new amp on the Amplifier forum.  I got a lot of good advice and ended up with a Pass XA25.  I really like this amp and the sound.  I have been told by Reno Hi Fi, Pass Labs and B&W, all of whom I contacted, that the XA25 is under-powered for my B&W 705S2 speakers.  But it sounds very good.  However a little flat when the volume is low.

So I am looking for some more efficient speakers.  I tried a used set of Reference 3a deCapo MM's, but they did not have the clarity of the B&W's and sounded a bit muddy at times.

I am looking at Omega Super Alnico HO's.  But I am wondering if the full range driver sound is what I didn't like.  

Am I wrong in thinking more efficient speakers will sound somewhat better at a lower volume?  Can you possibly tell my why I didn't like the MM's?  Something about their design or build?

Any thoughts on the Super Alnico HO's?  I don't want to move down the speaker sound chain.

Thanks much!  Any other speaker suggestions welcome!  But not horns.  I am not a Klipsch fan.
128x128jgoldrick
Thanks almarg,

From what I have learned, that makes some sense to me.  Which is good, I am learning.  It's also why the MM's didn't sound any louder and perhaps even a bit less.
I have looked at the Zu's as possibility.  What about the 12 ohms impedance?  Is that an impedance to good sound with my amp?
Reference 3a seems to not always provide useful sensitivity specs. 

Small speakers with good bass extension Tend to always not be very efficient. It’s just the law of physics that you need a lot more power to get good extended bass out of a smaller package. Some do it better than others though.

Other than that I have read only good things about ref 3a speakers.
The character of the B&W speakers is pretty unique and colorful.

The amps less so. Those are more neutral.

If you like the sound as is, keep what you have. Remember that good room acoustics can make your speakers sound louder and taught.

If they won’t play loudly enough, change your amp, and consider class D solutions.

Best,

E
OK, who am I to give advice when I picked out my preamp and amp before choosing my loudspeakers?
Here is the conundrum. Many of us (myself included) believe that source and electronics and cabling are more important than choice of loudspeakers. This drives the other camp bat-shite crazy. That's fine, we are all entitled to our own opinions. 
My experience from 45 years in the hobby is that with everything else carefully selected, a very humble set of loudspeakers can sound amazing. On the other hand, the finest set of loudspeakers imaginable will always sound like crap fed a crappy signal. 
Sounds like I am arguing for your course of action and not against, doesn't it. Yep. I am. But now you have to choose your loudspeakers carefully. Anyone and their brother on this crazy Board can throw out suggestions for relatively efficient loudspeakers but they are all going to sound different in your room and may or may not suit your preference. Asking here for suggestions is worth maybe 5 cents and a used piece of gum. 
I happen to have spent ten great years loving a pair of B&W Matrix 805's I bought new in 1998. Your 705 S2's are basically the same loudspeaker with technological advancements. That means they image like champs and have a very pure sweet midrange but don't give you the immense wall of sound that only larger speakers can provide. For example, I remember taking the Mapleshade recording of The ARC Choir to my retailer and with the larger B&W floorstander's I heard the complete choir spookily in front of me while I could not coax the same with the 805's. 
But....you have not given us a budget and you have not told us what you like in the way of speaker attributes. Every loudspeaker on Earth has strengths and weakness and character traits. No exceptions. 
My first piece of constructive advice is decide your budget and which speaker characteristics you like. Then call Galen Carol and ask him. 

I have looked at the Zu’s as possibility. What about the 12 ohms impedance? Is that an impedance to good sound with my amp?

The smaller Zu models which are 12 ohms (Omen MkII, Omen Bookshelf) are rated at 97 db/1 watt/1 meter. While the XA25’s power capability into 12 ohms will presumably be about 1/3 less than its capability into 8 ohms, that reduction should be more than compensated for by the relatively high efficiency of those speakers. But having no experience with Zu speakers I can’t comment on their sonics.

Also, as Mapman indicated small size, efficiency, and deep bass extension tend to trade off against one another. So a concern with those Zu models may be the adequacy (for your purposes) of their deep bass extension. And I would not judge that by the published bandwidth specs, in part because the bandwidth specs for those models don’t have any +/- tolerance indicated, and in part because we don’t know how much placement-related "room gain" such specs are based on.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al