Quiet_Hollow

Where do you think Delphi got the idea from? Commercial flop for Bose? Arguably so. Game-changing research in the field of dynamic systems & control? Absolutely.

Because the word efficiency is being used interchangeably with the word sensitivity in context, whereas efficiency really hasn't changed at all. The confusion stems from the misuse of jargon. Sensitivity and Efficiency are measured using different parameters, and they don't mean the same thing even though they are both often times expressed in dB. One equation is based on voltage and SPL, and the other is based on total power, respectively. That's a really important difference. It would be more meaningful try to describe instead why a 2" semi-rigid diaphragm in a K55/K400 combination can produce significantly more SPL than the same diaphragm mounted free-air on a baffle, or even when compared to a 2" high performance dynamic driver. The book on that subject already exists. Reference: http://www.klipsch.com/education/speaker-sensitivity

Good, otherwise we can toss out Physics and power those big kick-@ss line arrays at rock concerts directly off an iPod.

Efficiency is not affected by the number of drivers.

Y'all are confusing a few terms here. Loudspeaker efficiency and voltage sensitivity are two completely different animals. Toss in room acoustics and voicing on top of that, and there's no longer any meaningful comparison. If we don't keep the variables separate, we end up with seemingly random experiences. Doubling speakers does NOT double efficiency, for example. Where frequency response is concerned, both Matt and Mike are correct. Absolute SPL (effectiveness of the system) and relative SPL (spectral balance) are equally important to quality of the sound......but they aren't the same thing just because they both deal with SPL.

That certainly is a factor, but historically I've found that if I can physically "see" a driver, then it usually doesn't sound as well as when I can't. Not always, but usually. Over the years, I've grown accustomed to shy away from large piles of drivers. I buy for the sound first and the looks last... but that's just me. You can see in my profile picture that my HT won't win any homemaker awards anytime soon, but I can guarantee you that it doesn't sound like any other system out there either....even in comparison to other La Scala-based systems. Speakers (and horns in particular) are very much like antennas by which their cosmetics are usually inversely proportional to their performance.

While some people fall prey to aesthetics I much prefer the logical approach....starting foremost with SPL requirements at the listening position be that in the garage, behind a desk, on the sofa in the living room, or 60 feet out into a large crowd. Without establishing a realistic number, you essentially have no target to begin with.

I personally don't, even though I'm no Howard Stern. But then again, I'm also quite comfortable hanging out in anechoic chambers too....which are, according to pop science, purported to drive people crazy. Must be from all those years of ice fishing, bow hunting, and choir practice.

^^^ This. I agree, and I would not totally discount the performance of a filter cap, considering the frequencies at play. The purchasing department has the luxury of QA to weed out and match components. Us mortals OTOH only get what we get. So unless the plan is to buy 100+ components and sort through a pile, I think it'd be prudent to stick to the tightest tolerance available. Unless of course, you can do as Mark suggests above. That'd be the way to go.

FWIW, Onkyo's rating is on the conservative side... http://stereos.about.com/od/stereoreceiverreviews/ss/Onkyo-Tx-8020-Measurements.htm#step2 And we all know that the R-15M in not an 8 ohm speaker. I feel he's covered. It's supposed to be just a near field monitor, not for driving a living room. At 5.25" inches, anything over 10V continuous for any sustained period is likely to either melt the crossover or shred the driver. Been there, done that.

I'm not discounting what works, but a used Fluke 27 is only $20-$50, and is a serious meter for the money. Made in the USA. Easily a "buy once" item.

Check eBay or Craigslist for an old Fluke 27 or 27FM, or the like.

Unfortunately, that correlates to nothing at the moment. However, once you have a meter you'll know for sure what your amp is doing, and you'll be able to quickly identify and diagnose future issues. The entire thing runs on electricity, so just because the mass market stores and online retailers don't sell meters right next to the stereos, doesn't mean you won't ever need one. Think of it as buying confidence in your system....which quickly pays off.

I think you should spring for a good multimeter instead...doesn't have to be brand new either, as there are always plenty of very good used ones on eBay. Trust me. Using terms like "70% volume" is what will get you into trouble with your speakers...fast. The TX8020 is plenty of power for the R-15M. I recommend mastering what you have at hand. Could save you a sh*tload of cash in end.

Buy a quality digital multimeter. Of course. Keep them under 10V continuous (using your newly acquired meter) and they'll keep going for a very long time.

La Scala (3 pair) HIP Image S3 ear buds

Very likely, because once you have a capable horn subwoofer to complement the La Scala, then the tuning and form factor of the K-Horn bottom cabinet become comparatively less advantageous. OTOH - Very few large format speakers can couple to the corner of a room as well as, or better than the K-Horn. In fact, I believe a horn subwoofer with 20-150 Hz capability with similar packaging would prove highly desirable.

For me it's the tandem combination of multi-channel D3 amplifiers and MCACC Pro under one hood for home theater use. I can't stress it enough...it takes the two technologies (chip amps & onboard DSP) to tango. Above a certain threshold, power isn't everything. The quality and capacity of the power supplies are, however. Keep in mind that an honest 100 W/ch is approaching "real cinema" power levels. With as much onboard EQ and sound field processing available in the Elite series, you can make the system sound essentially however you want. I use ethernet instead. Fast, reliable, keeps EMI/RFI to a minimum. A side effect of having more features to start off with. No more clumsy than my old Yamaha or Panasonic. There's only so much physical display space for such a feature intensive menu. Could they have done better? Arguably so. Is it a pain to use daily? Not at all. Like any complex system, it's up to the person to devise their own procedures. There's a learning curve to everything. I have not experienced any "bugs" to speak of. My only gripe about the mobile app is that the Sound Explorer menu (the 2nd most frequented menu) defaults to the childish "animated waterfall buttons" display option. I much prefer the concise "list" display, and always have to wait a second or two for the animation to finish loading before it allows me to toggle over. Some people are letting themselves get worked up about it. No one is scaring anybody. I try to keep abreast of the technologies and have found that the priorities just tend to fall in line...AV bloggers be damned.

The other half purchased a copy of Collateral. Soundtrack worthy of Heritage playback. A tasteful blend of The Jackal and Crash. Michael Mann + James Newton Howard = The complete L.A. home theater experience.

That's not the view from the driver's seat. Besides, it's doctored too. The mirrors are pasted over. It's a cage. ...and yes I despise A-pillar visibility obstruction to any degree, because frankly, I'm not blind. Once again, if a car is going to impact me there, it's a going to be real bad day no matter what. Check out the video of my 92 Accord below. Watch the entire length to include when I pass through the construction zone. What obstructions do you see there? Mute the audio if you find it offensive, but pay attention to the essentially panoramic view out from both forward, around the car, and through the rear view mirror.

"Aurora and the Fawn" and "Welcome to the Moors" both from James Newton Howard's Maleficent OST. The last track was "Transient" from Orbital's Blue Album. Mmm...That wasn't me. The only speakers I sold when I lived in Wisconsin were my set of Yamaha. I was living just east of Franklin at the time. I hear you on the look of those Mallory caps. Suckers are huge. The power supply being rated at 1KW, continuous duty.

I posted about this in the "insane amplification" thread, but is also appropriate here. For anyone that has ever wondered about the DC-300A Series II:

I've got two of the Series II in very good condition. Every time I plug them in, I'm left wondering why I ever consider going new. I paid next to peanuts for them. When plugged into a class A preamp or a good late-model DAC, other than the sheer bulk of their transformers, I cannot find any reason to dispense with them based on the resulting sound. ...in light of this, I decided to pull one of the said beasts from the rack and make a short video for my archives: - QH

With one major exception... The Bel Air driver can see out greater than 180 degrees, nearly unabated...can't see crap from inside the Malibu. Watch the video again and see. I'm not endorsing either car, and yes the improvement in impact technology is clearly demonstrated. I just don't like the compromises in outward visibility that manufactures are taking in favor of fashion and crash performance. Safely driving a car is foremost a visual affair.