I need help on selecting the speaker driver

[jordanlin]

can anyone help me with this headache i am having here. i just finished my first DIY single ended tube amplifier using 6C45 tube. but it only produces 1.3W of power, that's very tiny. with my current system it's showing signs of distortion at higher volume especially at bass region. kind of like a clipping bass, so i figure i need to find a much higher efficiency driver to match this amp. my music liking is balanced, with great imaging and stage. i know due to the nature of this 1.3W amp, i don't think i will get pounding bass that's for sure. so should i go with high efficiency full range driver like fostex? or make a 2 way horn design using PA speakers?? i have around $150 of budget to buy the drivers. thanks

[damkor]

Re: I need help on selecting the speaker driver


i have around $150 of
> budget to buy the drivers. thanks

The Fostex FE166e are the most efficient in your price range. You need a horn box, though. Or the FE167e in a vented box.

Big spender, BTW...

[hongrn]

Re: I need help on selecting the speaker driver


I don't mean to be insensitive or critical, but how do you intend to drive anything with 1.3 watts? And to what level? I've been listening to music a very long time, and I can't remember the VU meter on my amp ever registering 1.3 watts and being able to produce anything enjoyable. Certainly not any AC/DC stuff or 1812 on Telarc.

Hong

[kduggan]

Line Array


> You need a design that will top 100 db at 1W/M. How low and the impedeance be?

I don't mean to be insensitive or critical,
> but how do you intend to drive anything with
> 1.3 watts? And to what level? I've been
> listening to music a very long time, and I
> can't remember the VU meter on my amp ever
> registering 1.3 watts and being able to
> produce anything enjoyable. Certainly not
> any AC/DC stuff or 1812 on Telarc.

> Hong

[damkor]

Acoustic music.


I
> can't remember the VU meter on my amp ever
> registering 1.3 watts and being able to
> produce ANYTHING ENJOYABLE. Certainly not
> any AC/DC stuff or 1812 on Telarc.

Juxtapose "Enjoyable" and "AC/DC", "Tchaikovsky"

Does...not...compute.

Kidding. But really, a 94dB speaker will produce...over 94dB with 1.3watts. And that's pretty loud.

People frequently use 90dBwm speakers with 2 watts. And that calculates to less output. All depends on your expectations. It's fine for acoustic music.

[hongrn]

Re: Acoustic music.


> Juxtapose "Enjoyable" and
> "AC/DC", "Tchaikovsky"

> Does...not...compute.

I never said anything about being normal... Back to the original post: So, does this amp clip at 1.3 watts?

Hong

[damkor]

Re: Acoustic music.


It probably outputs 1.3W at 1% THD. It's an SE amp. That means it sounds better at at least double it's power rating than a typical, cheap transistor amp does at it's rating.