We should reject hard-to-drive speakers more often

@jon_5912 wrote:

High power class D amps more than make up for the difference in dynamic contrast between low and high efficiency speakers. 

And how do they make up for that? There's only so much heat that can be dissipated in a given voice coil, not least a smaller one through typical low sensitivity. Power is power, and the less efficient receiver, unless extremely capable in power handling (which could have other, potentially detrimental effects), always ends up storing more heat, with all that entails. Thermal compression as in actually overheating the VC and causing heavy compression or sending the VC up in smoke is hardly the only, if even the main consequence following here, but rather what happens way earlier as something that has actual, audible effect. The degree to which this is pronounced, and at the (early) juncture this occurs and starts becoming a problem (referencing not least to a higher eff. scenario in which it isn't) would seem to be the more important aspect to investigate here. 

High efficiency speakers have way worse problems than thermal compression. 

I don't see how they do when properly implemented. 

Let me try to use a better metaphor.

It's fine with me if you buy a car that gets 10 MPG.

What I disagree with is the awe and bragging rights associated with that. No, your car is not better to ride in or more exclusive than high MPG Cars just because it's low MPG.

Also, if you lie about your MPG you should be held accountable.

That's my complaint about hard to drive cars.  I personally have no stake in high vs. low efficiency.  It's the reviewers and machismo that says "Oh, look, my car needs to have 99 Octane fuel to run therefore it's a real sportscar!" that needs to die. 

If we are to reject hard to drive speakers then we must reject the SNR1 immediately as they are horribly hard to drive with all the terrible components in the passive crossover. Get that dreadful thing out of there and go active Nigel I implore you!

I still say it’s just different human perceptions of what sounds good

I had some 3-way tower speakers that were supposed to be the bees knees- scan speak drivers with Ber. tweets) at around 87db sensitivity (translation more like 84 db) 

Same thing, comments on how “smooth” or “even” they sounded…

Every time I tried to turn them up loud for a more live concert experience (rarely), they always seemed to fart out (probably the thermal compression mentioned)

Im talking loud as hell here (balls out) for just a song or two.

My floor to ceiling line arrays do seem to get there db wise, but still sound smoothed to hell in terms of dynamics

Only thing I really like about em is their uniform loudness wether listening close or far (they don’t blow your head off up close, or fade way off if far away…)

As always.…YMMV