|
High Efficiency Speaker Asylum Need speakers that can rock with just one watt? You found da place. |
|
|
|
High Efficiency Speaker Asylum Need speakers that can rock with just one watt? You found da place. |
|
In Reply to: Vonschwiekert DB-99 posted by edman on December 24, 2004 at 08:58:27:
Hi edman,I have no experience with the dB-99's, however I own a pair of dB-100's and according to VSA, they have a very similar sound with the 100's having greater bass ability and larger scale. Therefore, my experience may help you to get an idea about the 99's.
I have owned my dB100's for just over a year and I use good SET amplification to drive them. Mine are finished in Steinway piano black gloss so they are particularly gorgeous.
They are quite a unique and amazing speaker and offer the listener a very different experience to listening to horns or full range drivers. I'll be brief as follows:
Pros :
1. The most balanced sound that I have heard - no peaks or gaps.
2. The ability to adjust bass response to your room is a Godsend. I have a difficult room and I can now adjust the bass independantly in each speaker to compensate. I have never had such bass 'balance'.
3. REAL DEEP TUNEFULL BASS and the ability to achieve it using 3 Watts if that's all you have.
4. Not as placement fussy as most high end speakers.
5. High sensitivity but also great flexibility. My amps produce 8W. I have successfully driven these speakers with a 3W amp and the sound achieved was fantastic. But here's the really crazy thing. Despite their 100dB rating, they can be successfully used with 150W amps!! One day when I was experimenting with some audio nut friends, someone brought a 150W solid state amp and it drove the dB100's with no discernable distortion up to very high SPL's. So the advantage is that the dB range will do justice to low powered quality amps but will also survive amp upgrades or equipment changes and be the speaker that you can have forever, even if you change amplification strategies.
Cons:
1. The speakers do not play well at very low levels. This is due to the booster amps powering the active bass drivers - they need a certain level of signal before they activate. Not a problem for me but if you want to play music quietly (eg. sleeping baby in the house), only the tweeter & mid range driver will activate at very low levels.
2. Unlike horns that give you a sense that the performers are "in your face", the dB100's sometimes make you feel that you are a few rows back from the stage. If you are looking for that horn immediacy and presence, then you will probably think that this speaker is too laid back. However, this can also be a positive because I know many people who have bought horns for that reason, only to tire of that style of presentation. Many of those such people that I know have called my speakers "fatigue free" and believe that their presentation style is a good thing.
3. Compared to large bass horns, the bass response is not as fast. If you can tolerate having a huge bass horn in your living room, then you will get a faster bass response. If, like me, you can't fathom two 6 foot bass horns in your listening area, then this speaker will give you the best bass response that you can get for SET amplification.
It is a pity that I will have to sell my speakers in the near future (due to move to small premises)as I will have to find this unique set of characteristics in a smaller box, which will probably be impossible. I hope that my comments have given you some value.
In this case, Albert Von Schweikert is great to deal with and remember that the best test is an audition.
George.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- Re: Vonschwiekert DB-99 - Addicted 07:00:38 12/28/04 (1)
- Re: Vonschwiekert DB-99 - edman 17:17:40 12/28/04 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
