Full range Loudspeakers

Hi-Fi Corner
1

Hi.
Has anybody used full range loudspeakers with Naim kit and was it a sucess?
Thank you.

2

All speakers are considered full range. Do you mean single driver?

3

See my posts re: Zu. I’m happy to expand.

4

@Neilb1906 . Sorry, yes I do.

1 Like
5

I have a pair of such speakers. But I don’t use them with my Naim setup. There’s no fundamental reason it won’t work but you’ll need careful matching to ensure technical compatibility. Most single driver speakers are very sensitive and that can exacerbate the Naim background hiss. They are often designed for fleapower amps. So for example, my Omegas, rated at 97db are rated at 2 - 50 watts, might be interesting with a Nait 2, but not on the end of my my NAP250dr.

6

Hi @feeling_zen I was thinking of a pair on the end of an Atom (40 watts) in a room 3M by 2M.

7

Hi @mikehughescq . Would you be so kind as to expand. Thank you.

8

A pair of what? And do you have a listening spot? Single driver speakers can be very directional on account of a concave cone being used for the high frequencies. Not a lot of off axis with most. But if you’re in the small sweet spot they can sound great.

9

For Stereophile, these are full range

Range)

Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: $85,000/pair
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW)

Dutch & Dutch 8c: $12,500/pair (stands necessary)
(Vol.42 No.8; Vol.43 No.4 WWW)

Egglestonworks Viginti: $39,995/pair
(Vol.41 No.6 WWW)

GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference: $9999/pair $$$
(Vol.40 No.12 WWW)

Magico M2: $56,000/pair plus $7600 for MPod bases
(Vol.43 No.2 WWW)

Magico S5 Mk.II: $41,800/pair; $47,025/pair, depending on finish
(Vol.40 No.2 WWW)

Marten Coltrane 3: $125,000/pair
(Vol.39 No.6 WWW)

MartinLogan Renaissance ESL 15A: $24,999.98/pair
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW)

mbl Radialstrahler 101 E Mk.II: $70,500/pair ★
(Vol.35 No.4 WWW)

Revel Ultima2 Salon2: $21,998/pair ★
(Vol.31 No.6, Vol.32 No.3, Vol.42 Nos. 5 & 7 WWW)

Revel Ultima2 Studio2: $15,998/pair $$$ ★
(Vol.31 No.3, Vol.32 No.12, Vol.42 No.9)

Rockport Technologies Avior II: $38,500/pair
(Vol.40 No.8 WWW)

Sonus Faber Aida: $130,000/pair
(Vol.41 No.10)

Tidal Audio Akira: $215,000/pair
Vol.41 No.11 WWW)

Vandersteen Audio Quatro Wood CT: $15,499/pair
Rating assumes it is used with its companion M5-HPA high-pass amplifier. (Vol.42 No.11 WWW)

Vimberg Mino: $31,000/pair
See JA’s review in this issue.

Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit: $93,000/pair including external crossovers
(Vol.41 No.1 WWW)

Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx: $109,000/pair
(Vol.40 No.5 WWW)

Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia Series 2: $57,900/pair
(Vol.41 Nos.7 & 8 WWW)

10

I’ve Zu Soul Superfly. 101 sensitivity, 16ohm and designed for valves. They have a super tweeter but they’re effectively full range as there’s no cross over. Just a small high pass filter network. Fantastically coherent. Incredible with tone and timbre.

Matched with 202/200 which is 4ohm so a massive impredabce mismatch on paper. One specific dealer used to sell them in the UK and did demoes which were impressive but tended to divide listeners. If it didn’t sound like Neat, PMC, Kudos, Harbeth etc. then it couldn’t be hi-fi could it! The fact it was way more real and natural tends to evade people.

Lots of myths abound. The “less sound off axis” so one which persists. I do a lot of listening off axis as Mrs.H. and the sprog hog central positions. Not an issue. Sound remains well balanced. The impedance mismatch means they go loud too quickly and the sound can lack mids on some music but I’m working on fixing that.

One interesting thing of which I am certain is that Zu are brutal at showing what’s happening upstream. The 202/200 has sounded phenomenal since I took out the HC DR. More direct and present. Midrange restored a further 20 to 30%.

1 Like
11

Hi @mikehughescq
I am looking at small desk top speakers for my office and I stumbled upon these.
Full-range unit: Jordan Eikona 2
Enclosure type: Reflex front ported
Frequency response: 50Hz - 20000Hz
Sensitivity (2.83v/1m): 86dB
Amp requirement:: 30-100w
Impedance: 8 ohm
Internal volume: 7.8 litres per speaker
Weight:: 12Kg per pair
Dimensions (HxWxD): 276mm x 206mm x 226mm

To be driven by an Atom.

12

Hi @feeling_zen
I would have a sweet spot sitting at my desk in front of my PC.
The ones I stumbled across are.
Full-range unit: Jordan Eikona 2
Enclosure type: Reflex front ported
Frequency response: 50Hz - 20000Hz
Sensitivity (2.83v/1m): 86dB
Amp requirement:: 30-100w
Impedance: 8 ohm
Internal volume: 7.8 litres per speaker
Weight:: 12Kg per pair
Dimensions (HxWxD): 276mm x 206mm x 226mm

13

By whom? By what definition of full range?

14

You and the OP know exactly what I meant.

15

According to Stereophile, there are Full range speakers ( recommended class A speakers 2020 posted above) and Restricted Low frequencies speakers.
So not all are full range.
It seems logical. Little Proac bookshelves can’t be full range in the same level as Magico M2 for instance.

16

Actually, I genuinely have no idea at all what you meant! (Regardless of whether or not the OP did.)

17

I think the OP must be referring to full-range drivers, which can be quite amazing. Otherwise, as you say, all speakers would be considered full-range … well, down to 50 htz or so anyway.

18

ProAc K6 or K6 Signature, or K8. Would dance very well with a 500 system. Plenty of deep bass. Might try the K6 with a 300 with good success.

19

That isn’t full range - and some speakers are already falling in output by that point.

20

Well of course, 70 Htz is more the norm, that’s why many of us have subwoofers. I still think the OP was speaking of full-range drivers, which can be excellent.
Full-range wouldn’t imply a down to zero low end.