2. misc-audio
  3. 134318-86163

Does It have to be loud?

Are you also under the impression that when people (or manufacturers) demo their equipment, they maintain sound pressure levels between 90-100 Dba. In general this is done in rooms being too small, and therefore the room will heavily interact with the sound heard in that room. Often, when you ask to lower the volume, the actual result is better, and –most likely- provides you with the information you were looking for. So, my question here is, do you also prefer to listen in the 90-100 dba range? Or do you –like myself- like to listen in the 70-90 dba sound pressure range? Of course, I’m referring to sound pressure levels at the listening position, which –in my case- is about 4 meter away from the speaker. 

128x128han_n
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
I’m learning how the other side thinks

Trust me, I'll  partake in your nonsense on my terms. But the operative word you've used is "think". Kindly do so.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I trust you to continue stalking me. You could spice up your posts with a little humor. It wouldn’t kill you. 🤡
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
I trust you to continue stalking me. You could spice up your posts with a little humor. It wouldn’t kill you.
My senses are pretty good, and I do sense some sincerity and perhaps the offer of the proverbial carrot in your last post, hence the reason I shall respond. It is true that my sense of humor is "different" than most. To an extent, "warped" in fact. I'll consider your advice to spice up my posts, but in all likelihood my written responses would not deviate from my already established norm. I've posted this elsewhere on the forum, but perhaps it needs to be reiterated that "I’m proud to be in the minority".
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,477 posts
 
@gdhal 

If you have not tested your speakers at those levels then I am afraid you cannot know through mathematically applying max rated amplifier power (watts) and multiplying that to your speaker sensitivity. Perhaps I was not clear - very few if any speakers can play that loud without excessive distortion.

I can show Soundstage plots where large Wilson and large Magico speakers (hardly low end) that are already distorting at a mere 95 dB SPL.
han_n's avatar
han_n OP
105 posts
 
@shadorne 

I do agree with you that -in general- very few speakers will comfortably go much higher than 95 dba, without running into higher distortion. The moment you can see the woofer "working hard" there is a very realistic chance that you are entering higher distortion levels as well. At 95 dba, almost all speakers will show this "working hard", they will have to move a certain volume of air to reach the higher sound pressure levels, so as woofers themselves have a certain mass, they will start to "overshoot (both positive and negative overshoots). This will create distortion. (easy to envision). Manufacturers will try solving this by selecting different materials, stronger magnets, tighter tolerances, adding more woofer units, or a combination go the above. In general this results in higher costs. As I like dynamics, and in general stay below 90 dba, my system is still quite within its "comfort zone". At least you don't see its 16 woofers working yet ;) 
More to discover