Bass distortion before tweeter distortion with a monitor at high volume?


I am looking at getting a set of monitors for a second system in a small room (12' x 10') , but I would also like the flexibility to play them in my main system in a room that is larger (13' x 25') with cathedral ceilings.

Let's assume that the small speaker I end up with won't be able to produce enough volume without distorting in the larger room.  Most of what I have read indicates that a subwoofer would solve the problem.  My understanding is that I would want to high-pass the bass on the speaker before it reaches the point of distortion, solving that issue.

If that is true, that leads me to believe that generally the tweeter would not be distorting unless the volume is at a higher level.  Is this normally the case?  If not, it seems there would be no point to using the sub. 

To restate the question:  With a high quality monitor, is it safe to say that the tweeter can play at higher volume without distorting compared to the woofer?  I am speaking in general terms here - I am sure there are exceptions.  Thanks.
abnerjack
sboje,

Thanks for the chart and great info.

audiokinesis,

Excellent explanation of woofer distortion.

bob_reynolds,

I have read and appreciated many of your informative posts and your willingness to share your knowledge.

" Here is what I don't understand. If I try to play a small speaker in a too large room and have to supply too much power to it, it will distort. True? It just can't play that loudly."

That's true.

" So simply adding the subwoofer would not relieve the "strain" on the drivers, it would only provide more bass, but I would still have to live with the distortion, both from the woofer and from the tweeter (I'm talking about a two-way speaker)."

True again.

" If I did relieve the speaker of much of the bass load with a high pass filter, you are saying that you believe in most cases the part of the signal that goes to the main speaker would still be distorted? "

It depends. There's several variables at play. If your amp wasn't straining to begin with, then you should still hear the distortion. A speaker can only play so loud. If removing some of the bass frequencies helps an amp that's being driven too hard, then you may be able to squeeze more volume out of the system.

That said, this is usually not an issue for your typical high end system. Most audiophiles are far more concerned with sound quality than volume. When an audiophile is looking for volume, it usually means something's wrong. When a system is sounding good, most people don't feel the need for loud music.

Your original theory, for the most part, is correct. Removing the low frequencies should allow a speaker to play louder, but its usually not a tactic used in high end systems. It's done all the time in car systems and pro installs like a night club.



So, you guys really think that my 92 db at 1 watt/1 meter Coincident monitors are actually distorting at 95 db?  Is that when I overdrive them with my 100 watt tube monoblocks or my 325 wpc Mac amp?
They will fill most rooms with sound.  Adding a sub adds much needed bass but doesn't increase volume a bit.  The stress on my amps is negligible.  I also have a 10 watt triode amp that sings beautifully with them in my 15 x 25 living room.
elevick,

I bet the Coincident's are great speakers and play well in a large room, but I am sure there are limits to the db it can achieve before it distorts.

The point of this thread is to discuss whether that distortion, which most seem to agree would occur on the bottom end first, could be relieved by high passing and allowing the sub to take the lowest range.

What do you think?
" The point of this thread is to discuss whether that distortion, which most seem to agree would occur on the bottom end first, could be relieved by high passing and allowing the sub to take the lowest range."

That's not true. If you have to push an amp hard to drive your speakers, the highs will be more of a problem. And in reality, this is far more likely to happen.