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Since you are worried about an underpowered NAD you might consider a pair of stand mounted monitors and add a sub for the low end. I would spend some serious time auditioning speakers available in your area. I would never buy speakers without first auditioning. They are the weakest link and it is critical for YOUR enjoyment that you choose them to match your tastes.
I know its a seven hour drive to Aguilar de Campoo, but you could listen to the wonderful Opera Prima or Seconda at Lyric Audio there.
thanks guys!
... it is a long drive indeed, mister Jackfish...
I've seen nearby a couple Dynaudio focus140 and Proac studio110... I can see they reach around 40Hz on the low side, and I am concerned that lower frequencies might blow them away.
I have another question... I'm also into making music and own a synth which I know can get well below those 40Hz. I'm obviously NOT planning to play through these speakers, but I sometimes record something and then I'd possibly play on HiFi set... if any sub-octave freq. reaches the cone... will it explode or something? ( remember Marty McFly )
I have a lousy PA and once tossed a speaker to the ground by merely "droning" loud!!! fortunately it was floorstanding at that time...
Thanks again guys!
Duplicate post deleted . . . . .
How's this for "big"? http://www.klipsch.com/na-en/products/klipschorn-overview/ 15" woofers in a three way cabinet. We could demonstrate the very high sensitivity of these speakers by powering them with a four watt table radio.
You need to gain a grasp on the concept of "electrical sensitivity". Try some reading on the topic ...
Then plug in the numbers you are looking at here; http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html
Let's look at an example, 50 watts into a 82dB "sensitivity" speaker system (X2) at 8' distance equals a peak level of just over 94dB in your room. That's not bad but let's put a 90dB sensitive speaker into that same equation and now we get peaks at 102dB! By using speakers with a higher sensitivity spec, you have done the same as buying higher wattage. Every 3dB you add to the speakers' sensitivity is roughly the equivalent of adding twice as many watts to your power amplifier.
With the reasonably lively market today in lower powered SET amplifiers there are numerous speakers meant to perform quite well on no more than, say, 5 watts. However, if you look in the mass market line of speakers, you'll find the prevailing attitude there is "watts are cheap". Lower sensitivity with more dificult loads are more common than when you look off the mass market reservation.
Any of these speakers will be happy with less then 10 watts; http://brinesacoustics.com/Products.html
as will these; http://www.omegaloudspeakers.com/products/super5series
More mass market and affordable you'll find a speaker like this; http://stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/1007inf/index2.html
Pair that with a good Hsu sub and you have a very reasonable system.
Know what you are actually buying by understanding a few basic numbers and you'll do much better at buying correctly the first time. Keep the impedance high and stable and any amp will perform well with any of these speakers.
The basic trade off for high sensitivity is a larger enclosure for lower bass extension. The designer can manipulate those values to arrive at a system which delivers high SPL potential which means at "typical" levels your amp will be cruising rather than bruising. A modestly sized enclosure can achieve good bass extension which might mean you hold off on a subwoofer for now. Transmission lines and quarter wave systems can extend bass response to synthesizer friendly frequencies while maintaining a small to medium footprint.
http://www.goodsearch.com/search.aspx?source=goodshopbar&keywords=tube+friendly+speakers
wow people...
...that's left me like an insensitive speaker with really low efficiency...
thanks for everything! Now I feel i have some stone to set my feet on when I cross this river!!! Anyway, If you feel you have any recommendation as to synergies such as those of the JAMOs ( which I'll try if I get the chance ), go ahead! I'll be listening carefully.
The sub part... I think that if I have to split my money into three... well... and I've seen good subs are veeeery expensive. Although I'm not against second hand gear, ebay feels too risky. And I don't know. I have to start field work here, now. If I don't get enough bass power from shelvers, I'll try floorstanders, and If then I loose other things, I'll consider the third part and find myself a Sub.
Again, You've been great help and thanks a lot!
I'll post when I try things and comment on them. OK ?
see you all!
R.
Nothing beats solid design and construction. Most shops can show you fairly clear examples of some "puny" 50 watter (or far less) that just flat out runs away from something with an honest two or three times the power at the bench. The point to understand though is even if you're pushing the two amps to their clipping point, two to three times the wattage on paper isn't going to amount to much actual average volume level difference. Beneath clipping and with both amps running at the same comfortable level the actual wattage capacity means nothing to the figures I quoted. Back in the 1980's when the BK ST140 was new to the world it would regularly walk away from a higher powered, more expensive amplifier. However, the BK only did so when it was working into a solid 8 Ohm load. At four Ohms reactive - not so much.
On the other hand it's more difficult not to notice the difference between an 84dB and a 94dB speaker system. Though, unless you're limited to, say, two watts max keeping both well within the limits of
"average" levels once again means diddly to the equations. But, for those who say they are concerned about having "only" 50 watts and do not remember when 15-25 was a big amplifier, starting with speaker sensitivity is IMO the best way to approach the issue if SPL's are a concern.
In my #2 system, at my second home, I recently purchased a set of PSB Image T6 speakers for $1200; I cannot recommend them too highly (see the recent article in Stereophile; also they are a current Editors Recommendation from The Absolute Sound). I am using them with a 40W Cambridge amplifier which has plenty of power for these speakers; your NAD should work great with them.
According to the PSB website, these are sold in Spain by UNO 800 SL AUDIO on CALLE JUAN DE AUSTRIA 126 in Barcelona 08018
... phone # 34 93 485 50 62...e-mail ---(info@uno800.com)
The recent Stereophile review was in the March 2010 issue; see it here on this website. The Absolute Sound recommends them in the 2011 High-End Audio Buyer's Guide that just came out. I recommend them too, so that's 3 for 3...rofl.
Another pair of speakers I have in another system at my main house are the excellent KEF IQ90, made in Britain. KEF speakers are generally very good and worth considering (the IQ70 has also had good reviews).
Your KEF dealer in Barcelona is PRO TECH ESPACIO ON AVENIDA DERECHOS HUMANOS 08870...PHONE # 34 93 811 34 33....
I bought a Parasound A23 amplifier from Audio Advisor a year or so ago. After listening to it for a few hours, it went back; a very poor-sounding product, in my opinion.
I guess that some of their very expensive stuff has had good reviews, but this one did not impress.
I have never owned a Musical Fidelity product, but their integrated amplifiers seem to get good reviews.
hey! great!
I'll check those two!
funny and strange you guys telling me about adresses in Barcelona. Thank you very much... I'm actually trying to find 2nd hand, ex-demo Proac studio 140s... they are pretty sensitive and efficient ( putting my learnings to work ) and reach pretty low and high frequencywise...
I'll check PSBs and KEF anyhow, who knows!
Any other loudspeaker recommendations will be hugely welcome, both monitor and floorstandig... ( I feel too reluctant to 2.1 systems, still ) even cheap amp solutions to impedance and sensitivity...
thanks, you've been great so long, and thanks in advance and anticipation!!!
R
GUYS, unexpected turn of events here...
I've started a new thread since some non-variable facts in the equation have varied... things are never easy...
now I might be able to spend some more money on an amp ( opera consonance a100 linear ) and a well reputed shop offers me a couple of floorstanders ( amphion Xenon columns ) at 1300