High efficiency, almost full range, small portable speakers?

Z

Zen Cafe

As I find my back getting worse all the time, I'd love to find a small, efficient speaker for integrated tube amp demos that has significantly full bass. I heard a set of PhaseTech 1.5s at an audio meet which were small but had frighteningly good bass...but...they required lots of power. It got me to wondering, knowing how antithetical to common sense it would be, if there was a similar speaker that was efficient.

What do you think? ...and thank you in advance for any suggestions.
 
The smallest, lightest, speakers I’ve found that worked with my 15wpc tube integrated were Royd Minstrels. They were in a relatively small (but not tiny) room.
 
I heard the Klipsch speakers but the demo was marred by the fact it was at Best Buy and they sounded kind of thin. I may have to revisit them for a closer listen as the size is perfect. The KLH 17 seem to be available at a reasonable price and I have had many satisfactory experiences with KLH speakers. The Royd Minstrels seem a little rare. I keep thinking based on size I need to check out the 600 m again.

I know I'm on a fool's errand wanting too much...all three attributes,but what the heck. I have 6 fully refurbished tube integrated amps and should I ever find myself at another audio meet up I'd love to demo them and maybe even sell a few.

With current trends I'm thinking maybe some normalcy and my own sense of security will return by the summer next year so I have a little time.
 
Last edited:
KLH 17 are fine loudspeakers but likewise not small (i.e., unless one considers the Heresys small -- the Colonel certainly did! ;) ).

Now, KLH did make, over the years, some remarkably musical and pleasant to listen to loudspeakers. A personal fave, to the extent that I am still not sure why I didn't keep the dump-find pair that passed through some years back, was the unassuming but very nice KLH 32.
P1020806.jpg

I mean, the crux of this thread is probably small.
ads and/or Braun certainly made a passel of small, surprisingly sensitive, and very easy to listen to loudspeakers over a span of a couple of decades (at least). Personally, I like & would suggest as a paragon ;) of the many small, sensitive, good sounding ads loudspeakers the unassuming (vinyl-clad! :redface:) ads L-470.

DSC_0546 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Of course, there are myriad other good choices, vintage and not-so-vintage. Lots of nice-ish current production loudspeakers that check all of the OP's boxes... except sensitive. :( The loudspeaker designers of today (largely) eschew high-ish sensitivity. Danged Philistines.
:confused: ;)
 
I love your HF-81. I have one as well and it is tied with a 299C as my fave. These are the kind of amps I am interested in using! What a great integrated!
 
Oh I dont know, I think I would consider the KLH 17's on the smaller side. Light too. #2's definitely smaller though. but the higher efficiency thing is also a key it sounds like and I know the KLH speakers always sound great with tubes.
 
Drugolf said:
Oh I dont know, I think I would consider the KLH 17's on the smaller side. Light too. #2's definitely smaller though. but the higher efficiency thing is also a key it sounds like and I know the KLH speakers always sound great with tubes.
Click to expand...
Well...

KLH 17
12" x 23" x 9" (1.44 ft^3 gross)
community.classicspeakerpages.net

Rectilinear Mini III

Picked up a pair of Rectilinear Mini III speakers today for $10. Circa 1969. They seem nice—close in size to AR 7 maybe? Real walnut veneer, although it is kind of beat up on these and will need a lot of patching. Nice grille cloth (kind of dirty), 2-layer like the KLH with a sheer black backing....
community.classicspeakerpages.net

Klipsch Heresy
21.4" x 15.5" x 13.2" (2.52 ft^3 gross)

Heresy specs page

The specs for the Heresy aren't on the Heresy page: http://www.klipsch.com/products/heresy-floorstanding-speaker. The linked PDF is to the Heresy III. I found the old specs page here: https://web.archive.org/web/20150411134201/http://www.klipsch.com/heresy-floorstanding-speaker/details
community.klipsch.com


by comparison, e.g., the BBC LS3/5A specification includes a cabinet size of 12" H by 7.5" W by 6.25" D (0.33 ft^3 gross)
www.stereophile.com

BBC LS3/5a loudspeaker BBC LS3/5a Specifications

Sidebar 3: BBC LS3/5a Specifications
www.stereophile.com www.stereophile.com

and what is 'small', Grasshopper?

;)
 
LS3/5A’s for me, I had the 16ohm Rogers and “kinda” :confused: regret parting with them. They are not terribly efficient, but they sure boogey and have more bass/impact/presence than they have the right to (especially for their small size). You can get a decent used set or buy a new version of them (Falcons are the least expensive?).
 
Minimum wattage would be 6-8 watts. All amps are tube. Half are el84 and half are el34(probably enough power for many speakers) and one is 6-8 watts. My primary objective is to allow all these amps to shine. Weight many in fact be the ultimate problem.

I looked further into the Klipsch 600m and I must admit I am suspicious as the Amazon price is $419 for a brand new pair off the $579 list. Moreover they were shilled hard by the "Audiophiliac" who I dislike and do not trust. Finally they were not very good sounding when I did audition them. The 3/5 are definitely not right for the music. Think...demo material with Marcus Miller bass. Maybe the KLHs which I have been impressed by on many occasions would be OK.

I like the wheels idea too! Thank you!
 
When I used to help a flipper friend haul his wares to rummage sales and whatnot my best friend was a folding dolly cart.
 
Oh...
Not easy to find, but another really excellent (in that oh-so-British way, apropos of the LS3/5A chatter in this thread) option from days of yore would be the IMF SuperCompact 2. I had a pair of these (dump finds) and would still have them today, except the MR surrounds were goin' fast, and I really didn't want to deal with sourcing replacements (I did try a wee bit, way back when).
Superb, umm, tonality (for want of a better word), very good bass and -- here's the crazy part -- sounded good driven by everything I tried down to ;) and including SE 2A3 amplification.

IMF Supercompact2 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
N.B. The tweeter looks like a hack job, but I am pretty sure it's the original.

IMF also built a two-way compact (I believe it was called the Compact2) that would presumably be a little smaller and a little less expensive. I've never encountered any of these IRL, though. :o
 
mhardy6647 said:
Oh...
Not easy to find, but another really excellent (in that oh-so-British way, apropos of the LS3/5A chatter in this thread) option from days of yore would be the IMF SuperCompact 2. I had a pair of these (dump finds) and would still have them today, except the MR surrounds were goin' fast, and I really didn't want to deal with sourcing replacements (I did try a wee bit, way back when).
Superb, umm, tonality (for want of a better word), very good bass and -- here's the crazy part -- sounded good driven by everything I tried down to ;) and including SE 2A3 amplification.

IMF Supercompact2 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
N.B. The tweeter looks like a hack job, but I am pretty sure it's the original.

IMF also built a two-way compact (I believe it was called the Compact2) that would presumably be a little smaller and a little less expensive. I've never encountered any of these IRL, though. :o
Click to expand...
Okay Mr. Hardy. I'm getting this distinct image in my head of you constantly pulling over to go dumpster diving even if you're in your Sunday go-to-meeting clothes. Where and how do you find all these "dump finds"?

Hmmmm... though just crossed my mind. Do you keep like a mechanics jumpsuit in your trunk just in case you are in good clothes?
 
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