SET, Push Pull, or T-Amp best to drive Frugel horns?

[human.bin]

so when do we call a speaker insensitive?

[chuyler1]

Originally Posted by human.bin

so when do we call a speaker insensitive?

When they are playing Kanye West.

[AndrewT]

<1Vpp is <30mW into 8r0.
Seems like your avearge level was of the order of 1mW to 10mW. Probably <70dB @ 1m per speaker

[human.bin]

if kanye west is that one of american boy i must say that the an super 8" where doing a great job, it seemed like most of the bass wow effect energy had been mastered in the 200-400hz region

[blue lander]

Is there any consensus on how much head room is necessary for most types of music? I'd imagine 2.5 wpc would more than cover it.

I'm really looking forward to hearing what the A166 sounds like when connected to the K-12g. Currently I'm running double Large Advents to a Phase Linear 400, so it should be a night and day difference. Sort of like comparing a tiny high performance sports car to a 30 year old bulldozer.

[AndrewT]

If you're a headbanger and prepared to tolerate the typical distortions of a disco that has insufficient headroom then aimfor ~10dB.
If you use normal music at normal levels then try for 20dB of headroom.
If you listen to high quality sources that are capable of good dynamic range then ~30dB may be necessary.

Assume your average level for quiet and background music is between 60 and 70Db SPL at your listening position.
If your like it to be more lifelike then th average could be ~80dB SPL at the listening position.

If 20mW/ch is quiet then an average of 200mW/ch is lifelike and headroom of 30dB will require 200W/ch.
If you are prepared to listen with just 20dB of headroom then 20W/ch is necessary to meet the references of 20mW & 200mW.

[ra7]

that's the beauty of these little SE thingies. Even when they clip, it is harmonic and you won't notice it... another way of saying that 2.5W/ch coming out of which amplifier (topology) and driving what speakers is important.

I agree with AndrewT on the listenning levels, but I find 2.5W into full range drivers is enough to make my hair stand on ends.

ofcourse, 200W of class A will be better, but then it costs $$$$

[ra7]

I recently attended a symphony orchestra and was reading on tnt-audio that the peaks in such a performance can be more than 30 db over average program levels.

Geoff Husband makes the point (tnt-audio), that if you actually are able to recreate such peaks would you still like to stay in the same room? Imagine a grand piano striking that bottom note with full power. If you reproduce that realistically, you better have something like a big concert hall as your living room.

[blue lander]

That's a good point. I don't think I'd want to listen to the complete dynamic range of a symphony crammed into the basement of my house...

Originally Posted by ra7

that's the beauty of these little SE thingies. Even when they clip, it is harmonic and you won't notice it... another way of saying that 2.5W/ch coming out of which amplifier (topology) and driving what speakers is important.

Does that apply to push pull amps as well?

[ra7]

This is beyond my knowledge blue lander. All i know is that the sonic signature depends on the amplifier topology. I know my dad's EL84 push-pull has second harmonic clipping. Most probably yours does too. Odd orders are fine as long as they are low in number ie. 3rd or 5th. Higher orders are known to be objectionable and more easily discernible.

Anyway, I think i should shut up and let some of the more knowledgeable members reply to your questions.