Dynamic compression in speakers themselves?

@mtrot --

I guess I should clarify that I’m not looking for high SPL playback. I’m just looking for that big, relaxed, open, uncompressed sound. I want dynamic crescendos in classical music to get my attention, but with a sense of ease, if that makes any sense. Should I gather that I should be looking for high quality floor standing speakers with ~12 inch woofers and at least 96dB sensitivity?

I’d look for horn designs mainly (hybrids or all-horns), with large radiation areas. Or as is suggested by posters @mrdecibel, @atmasphere and others.

@shadorne --

No. Extreme high sensitivity is no guarantee of unrestrained dynamics. 91 dB to 94 dB is already plenty of sensitivity. It is the driver design that is important - large voice coil, massive magnet, short coil in long magnetic gap.

12 inch woofers are a minimum but make sure they are pro woofers. Only these designs will give you dynamic crescendos with ease.

There’s more than one way to skin your cat. Bear in mind that ATC speakers are not particularly efficient, so they need large voice coils, massive magnets, a lot of power, etc. to deliver with ease in the entire SPL-range within their specific design limits. Their active iterations is a big plus as well, with the drive units being coupled directly to their respective and dedicated amps. All active ATC speakers are dynamically very capable and can be pushed hard before beginning to lose their composure, but it’s with the bigger models from SCM100 and upwards that ones ears is likely to give up before the speakers begin to show any signs of stress. To my needs in a stereo setup the capability to reproduce with ease at even the highest SPL’s is one of the major factors of importance, and the reason why I seriously considered purchasing the SCM150 ASL Pros’s (before choosing horns instead) - which are close siblings to your speakers, @shadorne .

That being said very high efficiency speakers at +100dB’s don’t necessarily need large voice coils or massive magnets (though they’re mostly pro units anyway, and therefore more rugged than your typical hifi dittos), the former of which can even be counter productive used in conjunction with horns in the effort to maintain their traits here in regards to transient response, "snap," etc. A 10dB advantage in efficiency equates into 1/10 the amount of wattage needed, and with many if not most conventional hifi-designs there’s even a 15-20dB shortage in efficiency compared to high efficiency speakers at 105dB’s - which is up to 100 times more watts required for the former to deliver the same SPL. Most any 105dB efficiency speaker design IS guaranteed to provide ample dynamic capabilities in any situation, giving you 105dB’s (at 2 meters/6-7 feet distance) with just a single watt - think about that; 105dB’s is way loud (enough in most situations, I’d say), and with a single watt required will keep distortion levels and thermal issues at bay.

From my chair high efficiency is paramount here. This also provides the freedom to explore smaller-watts tube amps, the SET’s of which in particular are extremely capable within their first couple of watts in delivering dynamics and aliveness that to my ears leaves most SS amps in the dust.

@mtrot --

To reiterate your initial inquiry a later clarification:

The primary audio characteristics I want to achieve in my system is an open, uncompressed, unstrained, and highly dynamic presentation. What I don’t know much about is how much speakers can or do contribute to loss of dynamics and impact. I have a very powerful amp, but it seems that when I increase the volume, yes, the speakers get louder, but perhaps not commensurate with the increase in the volume control. I do think I understand that this type of presentation is more easily achieved with larger scale speakers, but even with my large speakers, I feel something is wanting.

...

I guess I should clarify that I’m not looking for high SPL playback. I’m just looking for that big, relaxed, open, uncompressed sound. I want dynamic crescendos in classical music to get my attention, but with a sense of ease, if that makes any sense. Should I gather that I should be looking for high quality floor standing speakers with ~12 inch woofers and at least 96dB sensitivity?

It’s commendable that you’re able to articulate the above (not least the traits mentioned, per my own sonic priorities) as an actual bearing on where you want to go with the sound through your setup. Even though you’re not looking for "high SPL playback" per se it would be an inherent capability of speakers that conforms to your needs. Traits like ease, dynamic capabilities and a " big, relaxed, open, uncompressed sound" to my ears is very much grounded in the live, acoustic presentation, and even among audiophiles, very generally, I don’t find it a predominant sonic direction to be sought. One particular aspect that in a sense binds all of the above together (or is a cumulative product of it) is the sensation of ease, and really to be able to achieve this underappreciated quality you want "engines" much more powerful than what you strictly need, coupled no least with transient speed and a big air radiation area to fully load the room and give you the feel of size of scale to the sound. Sometimes you need to feel small when confronted with a sonic (re-)presentation, even startled by the sheer force and power - like witnessing (real) thunder and lightning, through which there’s also a deep emotional core to the experience; something is "ahead" of you here, and this way you’re better able to simply give in and concentrate on the on the whole of music (and not as a venture into dissecting the sound into bits and pieces as something happening "over there"). Sound reproduction, to my ears, is about being enveloped and carried away somehow, much more than sitting in a comfort zone and having an intellectual experience almost of something taking place at a distance. From my chair, going by your description above, the former is where I believe you at least implicitly want to be heading.

You then write the following:

Thanks much for all the great input here! I think, partly because of the expense and partly from an aesthetic standpoint, I’ll probably not seek to acquire the speakers mentioned here along the lines of ATC, PMC, Westlake, JBL, etc. The system for which I am investigating speakers is in our family room.

So, among more conventional dynamic floor standing speaker brands, any suggestions as to which of them might use the best quality components that would allow for the best dynamics of this "genre" of speakers? Which of them come closest to achieving my desired performance parameters? You know, just for starters, I’ll throw out names such as Sonus Faber, Paradigm, PSB, Monitor Audio, B&W, Legacy Audio, Daedalus Audio, Vandersteen, Goldenear, Revel, KEF, Dynaudio, Canton, etc.

Be careful not to shortchange your initial "quest" due to aesthetic requirements, though I’m aware both that and financial considerations can weigh in heavily in such matters. Better to take the time and find the right speakers and save up the extra amount of money potentially needed, and try and find an aesthetic solution that either doesn’t intrude too much in the family decor, or is so visually appealing that size and shape combine to be an actual asset - regardless of size ;) Many of the high efficiency designs fare very well when placed close to the wall behind them, so that their typically bigger size (and different shape) becomes less imposing compared to placing speakers way into the room.

The speaker brands mentioned in the second paragraph, save perhaps Daedalus Audio and Legacy Audio, are really what I’d consider "conventional" speakers that carries with them little if any of the desired traits pointed out by you. I would maintain the (active) ATC solution (minimum SCM100), and add Stage Accompany M57 and Volti Audio’s Rival and the more expensive models. I haven’t heard the Klipsch Heresy’s, but not too few here speak highly of them, and I imagine they’d do well with a pair of subs, as would the Klipsch La Scala’s (with subs). I’d seek out the new iterations of the Heritage line here. If you care to look into vintage horn speakers there are some great options here as well.