A Different Approach

[Mr Kipling]

Years ago in The Audiophile (Hi-Fi Answers), I remember reading about a gigantic horn loudspeaker called "The Living Voice", I think. It was so efficient it could function using just a preamp.

I was just wondering if there were any more modern compact designs that might do the same trick.

[hifi_dave]

Living Voiceare still very much inexistence but they do need an amp, not just a pre-amp.

Love the Avatar by the way.

[Mika K]

Depends of the preamp and speakers I guess.

There are some preamps available that can match the needs of the efficient speaker designs. At least the old ASR Collector was one of those with huge amount of gain that drove even not so efficient speakers with its 10-12W per channel output. I think the preamp was even delivered with some RCA-to-speakerterminal adapter cables. However ASR if not compact by any measures.. ;)

[Mr Kipling]

Hi Dave,

I can't recall who did the piece. I don't think it was Jimmy Hughes or Keith Howard. I could be wrong though. And the design did get a mention more than once. It wasn't seriously suggested that the design should be used without a power amp but that it had been tried with just a preamp and that it did produce a reasonable level of sound. Can't remember what the preamp tried was however.

[hifi_dave]

I suppose that if a 'pre-amp' had sufficient output to drive speakers, it could be described as an integrated amp !!!