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Speaker with the highest sensitivity?

Derek Balonek

Derek Balonek

Mar 15, 2011
787
5
37
USA, CA, Sacramento Metro area
#1
I've heard the low 90s (db/w/m) are average for most speakers. Which speakers have the highest sensitivity ratings? I know adding more speakers raises sensitivity, but I'm looking for the best single. I won't worry about power handling right now, as a more sensitive speaker doesn't need as much power to get as loud.

Thanks in advance for answers and advice.
 
#6
B-string said:
Start reading specs. They are available and when looking at raw speaker specs that is not with a proper box.The box you build will have a large effect.
Click to expand...

True. I'm probably going to worry about the box tuning later on. I figure it'll be easier to build a box for a particular speaker than to find a speaker for a box I like.

That said, I'm thinking horn-loaded of some kind, as I hear that helps too, at least around a particular frequency band.

B-string said:
You not like it much for bass use ;)
Click to expand...

~50 Hz on the low end is pretty high... and it is marked as a guitar speaker... but 105 dB 1W/m is crazy... I almost want to use it as a mid driver but then I'd have to pad it to keep from overpowering the bass, and that'd be a waste.
 
#8
Horns are a whole 'nother breed-o'-cat. Don't want to discourage you, but if doing horns, I'd start by building off plans for an established design and concentrating on learning/understanding how and why that works before diving into your own. It's a lot more complicated. Good direct radiator speakers take knowledge and talent as well, but if you don't get it just right, it'll still work somewhat and sorta show where it needs improvement.
 
#11
will33 said:
Horns are a whole 'nother breed-o'-cat. Don't want to discourage you, but if doing horns, I'd start by building off plans for an established design and concentrating on learning/understanding how and why that works before diving into your own. It's a lot more complicated. Good direct radiator speakers take knowledge and talent as well, but if you don't get it just right, it'll still work somewhat and sorta show where it needs improvement.
Click to expand...

Horns do sound rather complicated compared to just sticking a speaker there. I think I will probably look at some of BFMs designs. Speaker design isn't yet my strong suit, which is why I ask so many questions.

Thanks again for all the help.
 
#15
Of the Eminence line, you'll find the Kappalites (not the 3012LF) listed as having sensitivies right around 100 dB as well as the 12" and 15" DeltaLites. They all have decent to amazing excursion, too.

There's also Deltas, Kappas etc with very high sensitivity but low excursion.

I'm sure Ciare and Faital also have offerings with that level of sensitivity.

If I were to pick one driver based on your parameters I'd likely go with the Kappalite 3015, you can pretty much have your cake and eat it with that one in terms of sensitivity and low end output. Rated at 100.8 dB. Again, how reliable the specs are I can't say but I've always had good results using their drivers in a properly designed cab.
 
#18
A sort of rule of thumb is "loud, low and small, pick any 2". In your case, wanting loud output and low response, it's going to be a big box, whether it's a horn with 1 or 2 drivers in it, or a direct radiator with a lot of drivers in it. Most bass cabs are a balance of compromises somewhere in between the extremes. You can put stuff together that is small and plays very deep, but it's not very loud then.

Raw drivers have similair sorts of tradeoffs. Ones that are very high spl in the mids/highs won't have much lows. These LF type models that can play low and loud, have poor mid response and no highs, so they must be crossed over to another driver to play what they can't. Some "fullrange" drivers can have a pretty good balance of all 3, at least as far as a bass guitar is concerned, but won't be able to really excell at any one, at least not like the specific, purpose built LF woofers and smaller cone mid/high drivers.
 
#20
will33 said:
A sort of rule of thumb is "loud, low and small, pick any 2". In your case, wanting loud output and low response, it's going to be a big box, whether it's a horn with 1 or 2 drivers in it, or a direct radiator with a lot of drivers in it. Most bass cabs are a balance of compromises somewhere in between the extremes. You can put stuff together that is small and plays very deep, but it's not very loud then.

Raw drivers have similair sorts of tradeoffs. Ones that are very high spl in the mids/highs won't have much lows. These LF type models that can play low and loud, have poor mid response and no highs, so they must be crossed over to another driver to play what they can't. Some "fullrange" drivers can have a pretty good balance of all 3, at least as far as a bass guitar is concerned, but won't be able to really excell at any one, at least not like the specific, purpose built LF woofers and smaller cone mid/high drivers.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why I was thinking multi-way might help out a bit. Deep at decent volume and a mid driver that the LF response is less important to. The JBL mentioned earlier goes low enough for the 2nd harmonic of C1 which is as low as my bass is tuned. I'd probably want to highpass it above that though. Actually, to avoid concerns about matching sensitivity, biamping might be a better idea for this.
 

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