RMAF Loudspeakers?


Seeking ideas for high sensitivity (95+dB), 6-8 ohm nominal, flat impedance loudspeakers to audition at RMAF.

Daedalus Audio is one I am aware of.

I would have liked to listen to offerings from Devore, Zu Audio, WLM and Audiokinesis, but those manufacturers are not listed as exhibitors.

Any other ideas I may have overlooked?
tvad
Check out Vaughn Loudspeakers out of California. Here are the specs. The bass impedance is higher than your requrements but with a low watt amp this will not be a problem. They were at last years RMAF and I seem to recall others making mention of this room serveral times. I never had a chance to listen myself.
Here are the specs:

Zinfandel

Tweeter: 5" Ribbon
Full Range: 8 Inch w/ 8" rear passive
Woofer: 12 Inch w/ 12" passive
Impedance: 8 Ohms (14 ohms in bass)
Sensitivity: 97db
Response: 28 - 40,000 hz
Power Min/Max: 2/100
Weight each: 98 lbs
Size inches: 11 x 16 x 44
warranty: 5 Years
Cabinet: Amber Bamboo
Front Panel: Carbon Fiber
Rear Panel: Marmoleum
Bybee Filters: Large + & - Standard
(Gold Purifier on + add $500.00)

Suggested Retail: $12,995.00 USD

Direct Price/pair: $6,495.00 USD
Free shipping to continental US. or US port of export
As a point of reference, a vented speaker of one cubic foot internal volume and 90 dB/1 watt/1 meter efficiency will be -3 dB at about 44 Hz, assuming good boundary reinforcement from one room surface (woofer close to floor, for example). Different loudspeaker modelling programs may give slightly different results, but this should be in the ballpark.

If we factor in moderate boundary reinforcement from the two closest walls and the ceiling, we can extend that to perhaps 35 Hz.

If we put the speaker up on a stand way out in the room, our -3 dB point could end up closer to the 55 Hz ballpark.

Here's how you can make use of this point of reference:

If we want to lower the -3 dB point by 1/3 octave, we'd have to either trade off 3 dB of efficiency or double the box size. Put another way, if we double the box size we gain 3 dB of efficiency or 1/3 octave of bass extension. Put yet a third way, in order to gain 3 dB of efficiency we'd have to either double the box size or trade off 1/3 octave of bass extension. Or some combination thereof.

To calculate the frequency that would be 1/3 of an octave lower you multiply by .793; and to calculate the frequency that would be 1/3 of an octave higher you divide by .793.

To estimate box size, assume 3/4" thick walls and then deduct 10% from the gross internal volume to allow for bracing, driver magnets, and ports.

If anyone sees significant errors in these numbers please feel free to make corrections.

Different speaker manufacturers make different assumptions about the room's contributions, and the information above will allow you to estimate how much room contribution the manufacturer is factoring in. Recognize that you probably are not comparing apples-to-apples when you rely exclusively on specs from different manufacturers. In general, a smaller speaker cannot be both more efficient and have deeper bass than a bigger one if they use the same type of enclosure and both are competently designed. There are exceptions where a designer trades off bass extension for transient response, but that's another topic for another day.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
Duke - Are you the only manufacturer who is hampered by these physical parameters or do they influence all speaker makers regardless of claims to the contrary?

Tvad - I achieved what you are seeking by contacting Bill Woods and ultimately buying his AH300 horns. When combined with B&C 50 mm compression drivers, these horns provide a remarkably coherent voice ranging from 400 Hz up to 14Khz. I mounted mine on top of a pair of JBL L-200 cabinets using only the LE 15B woofers and cabinets and bypassing the inboard horn and passive crossover. Mine are actively crossed over by a DBX Drive Rack but the native crossover divides the signal at 800 Hz and works pretty well with less complexity and less expense than my arrangement.

I'm sure you won't see Bill at RMAF but the Oswald Mill system that was there last year uses the same horn as does the Cogent system. Chris Brady of Teres turntable fame uses them too.

My frequency response is limited at the low end at about 50 Hz. and on top at about 14 Khz. This might be a deal breaker for you but I don't find it to be very limiting at all. Efficiency is limited by the JBL woofer which I'm guessing to be about 97 db. Maybe Duke can give a better estimate of that. The cabinet is 5 cu.ft. and ported. You may have better bass cabinet options in your area than the JBLs I already happened to own.
Not sure if you can get to hear a pair of Lamhorns
They seem to fit your sonic characteristics

I heard them at FSI in Montreal - Very nice sounding speakers