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sensitivity question

A few questions regarding sensitivity.
a speaker with 90db sensitivity means roughly that it will deliver 90db at one meter distance at 1W right?
But if I’m not wrong most speakers are emitting more sound towards the drivers direction. In some way they resemble a light bulb+projector which emits light toward one specific direction. Obviously with speakers the "projector" effect is not as pronounced as with a lighting projector however the sound is mainly emitted toward one specific direction. With light bulbs which have a projector, in order to describe correctly the emitted luminous flux, you have to add the light cone degrees. In fact a spot light which opens one degree and consumes one watt delivers at one meter more lux as a light bulb of 100W at one meter which opens 180 degrees.
Wen measuring the sensitivity of a speaker do they measure only the db at one meter from the front of the speakers or do they make 8 or more measurements at 1 meter around the speaker and calculate then the medium sensitivity? If not is the actual sensitivity measurement not strongly lacking in accuracy? And in a audiophile world which has measurements in such a high regard is that lack in accuracy not wired? Thanks for any info!
daros71
djones51
4,947 posts
 
It's getting a little better. Look for measurements using the klippel NFS. I believe Stereophile is going to start using one. 
james_edward
127 posts
 
I will say this regarding speaker specs- I recently auditioned two speakers in my home- one manufacturer (Wharfedale Linton) stated the sensitivity at 90 db, the other (SVS Prime Pinnacle) 88 db. The SVS played louder for a given volume level, and the meters on my amp confirmed this. 
I have a relatively low powered Luxman L-590 AX MK2 amp (30 wpc). The supposedly lower sensitivity SVS speaker did not move the meters for a given volume nearly as much as the supposedly higher sensitivity Wharfedales. In fact, the Wharfedale came close to redlining the meters at high volume, the SVS not even close.
This admittedly non-scientific trial tells me not to put much stock in sensitivity ratings. 
It may somehow dovetail with your lighting analogy- I’m not sure though. Both speakers are dynamic, front firing boxes.
tubebuffer
417 posts
 
I bet you put you little Peter behind the lamp light so it look bigger!!!
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,642 posts
 
Good answer Erik.
10 ft. pole too short for me.
You make sense.
The OP don't.
daros71's avatar
daros71 OP
118 posts
 
That’s’ a ridiculous leap.
I think the sensitivity of a speaker, as measured and stated by speaker manufacturers, is only appropriate for headphones. For speakers it is 100% wrong. It simply doesn’t describe the amount of db reverberating in your space. If you measure something and you measure it incorrectly, that measurement won’t help you describe the world objectively... and then, since we all have different experiences despite the same measurement, you’ll say it’s all subjective in the end.

P.S. i don't say that a correct sensitivity measurement will reveal the overall qualities of the speaker. I want only to point out that in hifi even the simplest measurementes, like the sensitivity of a speaker, are gathered in a very discutible (or subjective) way. But is a subjective measurement useful? 

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