Proprius and high efficiency single driver speaker

I think that sensitivity figure is about right - the Alpair driver is slightly less sensitive than the Fostex drivers used in the past. The Frugals are not as sensitive as some of the larger horn systems and need more than 'flea power' to drive them. At a conservative 26 watts, the Proprius is very well suited but I probably wouldn't go for a much lower-powered amp. As for bass, I was astonished when I first demoed a pair at Electric Beach. I honestly thought a sub-woofer was switched on somewhere (it wasn't). I'm not that technical but the Frugal design is, I believe, a hybrid horn/transmission-line arrangement that can benefit from corner loading, which is how I demoed them. Very impressive musical bass, tightly controlled and agile. At home we can't get them into a corner but have them close to the rear wall. The bass remains deep, tight and tuneful - very much in balance with the rest of the sound spectrum.

To compare the Proprius/Frugals with the 300 watt Quad/Tannoys is a bit like comparing (I'm a classic car buff) an original Lotus Elan with, say, an older Aston Martin or Bristol. Both are very classy, fast and satisfying in their own way, but one is nimble, responsive and small enough to enjoy just about anywhere. The other isn't. The difference between a true sports car and a GT. The Tannoys did bass in spades, but at the expense of a lot of living room real estate. The fact that the Frugals do great bass, probably a bit more musical and controlled, from a much smaller footprint, swung it for us as we start to downsize. And the Tannoys did 'honk' a bit and were quite directional. Don't get me wrong, we've had 10 years of happy Tannoy ownership and enjoyment, but things move on. Are the Frugals perfect, I doubt it, and they are probably not right for everyone, but I think they are worth checking out as a slightly left-field alternative. Oh, and the Tannoys were over £4k at list (ten years ago) while the Frugals are around £860 from Electric Beach depending on finish. The speakers can also be tailored and tuned to your exact requirements.