Hi-Fi: Back to the Future, low low power amps... (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kleinke]

Theres a new article up over at MSNBC.com (link) about low low power and speakers and just how good they sound. Its by Gary Krakow whose written quite a few articles I've found to be interesting reading. And it made me stop and think about all the more watts = better amps. And just how in-efficient a lot of speakers are.
Check it out, some of you old timers might even remember a lot of what he's talking about (I for one have never even heard a tube amp...)
Brian

 

[RichardMA]

I agree about the Wave 8 tube amps. I've got a pair and
they sound better on human voices (biamping my centre
channel)than my Adcom amps. The Gallo ball speakers sound
good, but you definitely have to use a sub as their bass
is very weak. I don't know about batteries sounding different unless the voltage is different or the current
delivery. Transmission line or horn loaded speakers
have supporters and detractors. I'd probably stick with
regular sealed speakers, acoustic suspension unless lots
of bass is needed, then I'd port them.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

This is the latest audiophile fad. 2-5 w/ch SET amplifiers with horn speakers. Just like every other fad, it too will pass(and return).

 

[Tom Brennan]

Brian---This scene has been going on for many years, kind of a hi-fi underground, lots of guys using low-powered SET tube amps to power BIG born speakers like Altec VOTs, "real" Klipsches like the KHorns and LaScalas and professional line JBLs as well as vintage Altecs, JBLs, EVs, Jensens and Tannoys. Lots of guys using the full-range Lowthers from England too. The trend is to simplicity and lifelike dynamics. I'm using Wave 8s above 500hz in my actively bi-amped system to drive 110db efficiency Altec compression driver-horns. However this small amp-big speaker thing gets little press as it isn't very commercial; lots of the amps are DIY or kits and many of the speakers used are vintage motion picture theater speakers like the VOTs or DIY rigs assembled from Altec, JBL and EV parts, usually used ones. Some guys even use Western Electric theater loudspeakers and 300B amps from the 1930s, you can't sell much advertising space in Stereophile by stating that 1930s speaker and amp technology is superior to most of todays even though it is. By the way the speakers mentioned in the article are nowhere near as good as the speakers I've mentioned and I don't think the writer would know a REAL horn if it bit him on the leg.