Speaker Idea:

[leonski66]

I've been doing some scanning around looking for a speaker I can live with AND totally redo my system using high sensitivity speakers and the AmpCampAmp.

I'm going up to LA tomorrow to hear the Klipsch Forte III.

Any opinions on the ACA driving the Forte III? Klipsch calls it 99db sensitive while measured by Stereophile at about 96, give or take.

One amp ok? or for about 3db bump, one per speaker? Speaker is pre-wired for biamp so pulling the jumpers would be a no-brainer.

350$ amp and 4000$ speakers? No Problem!

 

[Tromperie]

Build your own and have pride in achieving something.

 

[Lojzek]

Be smart and purchase a product that satisfies your needs, not anyone else's.

Sure, for 4 grand we could do a little better, for instance 1 pair of a large 3 way PA, 1 pair of a smaller hi-fi 2 way and one 150W/ch stereo power amp.

 

[sgrossklass]

There are several possible reasons for buying high-sensitivity speakers. Accomodating an 8 Wpc (with a following wind) amplifier isn't a particularly good one though, in this day and age. The good thing about the ACA is that while its noise level is rather pedestrian for something with only 14 dB gain (there are some integrated amps that get close at >40 dB), that same low gain also means you shouldn't have much of a problem with preamp noise or the volume control being way down in the worst part of its range. (Mind you, it's nothing that couldn't also be achieved with a more standard power amp and a passive attenuator.)

If you have the kind of room size and listening distance that warrants large, wide-baffle speakers (and maybe less-than-ideal room acoustics to boot), by all means go ahead and try some. If you are sitting 10-15' away, a narrow baffle tower thingy with 8-10" woofers is not going to be terribly ideal when it comes to keeping direct radiation dominant.

 

[kct]

Well, $4000 buys you something really really nice and much better performing than a (any) pair of Klipsch.

Omen Dirty Weekend MK. II
or Lore Tekton

come to mind in the price range you mentioned.

In my books, Klipsch used to have a reputation and perhaps some good products, but that is a few distant ages ago. I would not consider this companies products anymore. There is much much better stuff out there as the same price point.

 

[indianajo]

What kind of music are you listening to? Strumastruma singer songwriter? What is the crest factor? That material it is very low.
I listen at an average 1/4 W to my 101 db 1W1m SP2-XT's, but I have 70 W in reserve if they set the cannon off in 1812 Overture. Room size is 14'wX33'longX11' high.
The successor Peavey SP2 are 98 db 1W1m, cost ~$600, and have a defined +- 3 db frequency response (54-14khz) and 2nd harmonic HD (20 db down all frequencies). Who else specified their HD? Most speakers have an implied +-10 db range on the quoted freqnency response.
If you're worried about 14khz to 20 khz, go for a hearing test. Mine stops at 14 khz and I am better than all of the adult male US residents in my acquaintance.

 

[Mark Tillotson]

And if you care about bass extension you will likely need big speakers. An advantage of inefficient drivers is flexibility in bass driving they afford with smaller boxes.