Sometimes Hard to Drive Speakers are a Gimmick

I am no longer going to reply to messages that are not polite or failed to read the blog.

Reviewing various crossover impedances then drawing the conclusion that there is a both a speaker and amplifier conspiracy to sell more wattage is not logical.

Affordable high wattage amps are readily available, which is not the same as paying more for higher engineered and costlier parts in high-end amplification. 

A speaker manufacturer typically design to a cost/price point and to be efficient enough to be compatible “with a range of available amplifiers” (not just low watt amps) to compete in a specific segment of the market.  Andrew Jones doesn’t design inefficiencies just to boost higher watt amplifier sales.

Amplifier guru Nelson Pass has designed both high power and low power amps.  It’s not that high or low is better, but it’s matching the amp to the speaker requirements that matter.

TL;DR : Don't be seduced by hard to drive speakers.  They aren't more musical. 

This statement seems baseless, as it conflicts with first hand experience plus many positive reviews and testimonies from Magnepan, MBL, Wilson, Magico, YG….. Sonus Faber is highly musical.  

Also not going to engage in sophistry, strawmen arguments or putting words into my mouth.  

The data is the data, and sometimes means sometimes. 

And yeah, I do think it’s possible that dealers love hard to drive speakers because it sells bigger amps than they would get otherwise.  I’ve seen it right here on A’gon in a user buying a KEF R 1 Meta.  He ended up with a high current amp as the only one suitable to drive it well.  The Salon anecdote was from a guy who worked for Pass, saying they exactly deseigned the speakers to sell higher power amps. 

So, sure, any state has 1 ohm stable amps, but that doesn’t make them affordable, and in the Focal case, I can absolutely say the crossover was crappy  and designed exactly to sound mediocre unless driven by a very high current amp.  Technology should be making things more efficient, not less.  This is like adding weight to a car just to sell higher octane gas.  

@ OP, I've just read your article, and this is the main takeaway: 

"I can't prove intention in any of these designs."

Well, if you are unable to provide real evidence or intention, it's probably best not to write an article or post on AG.

@bojack  - That I can’t prove intention is not the same as saying there is no evidence of it.  An online anecdote of intention IS evidence, but not proof.  Presenting evidence as evidence and making the distinction between evidence and proof is good writing.  

Would be great if I had access to internal e-mails or an interview with a KEF designer, but the impedance plots and the Focal schematic are strong evidence of speakers being hard to drive without cause. 

Warning an audiophile to be careful about "discerning" speakers is the same of being careful about bright "revealing" speakers.  

At the end of the day if a listener is only going to be happy with a 1 Ohm speaker that requires a $40k amp to go with it, that’s their business, but lets not glorify the 1 Ohm speaker for being 1 Ohm.