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Re: Car audio terminology Posted by Randy Thatcher [Email]  (#22)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Randy Thatcher) on Wed, 24 Apr 2002 08:39:51
In Reply to: Car audio terminology, Nathan  [Profile/Gallery]
, Wed, 24 Apr 2002 00:16:17
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Speaker sensitivity: higher is generally better, but listen to the speaker for sound quality, too. Higher sensitivity means it takes less power to drive the speakers to a sound level. So if you take 85dB sensitive speakers and 92dB speakers and drive them both with a 40W amp, the 85dB speakers will "run out of gas" sooner and you'll hear clipping.
It takes 10 times the power to get twice the sound output. Double the sound output is 3dB greater.
That means, given the 91dB speakers:
1 watt amp gets you 91dB at 1 meter
10 watt amp gets you 94dB at 1 meter
100 watt amp gets you 97dB at 1 meter
1000 watt amp gets you 100dB at 1 meter
BUT, if you find some drivers that are 94dB efficient, you can go:
1 watt amp gets you 94dB at 1 meter
10 watt amp gets you 97dB at 1 meter
100 watt amp gets you 100dB at 1 meter
I personally run 103dB effecient horn speakers in my home. That allows me to use a wonderful 8W tube amp and hear blissful music. see:
http://thatcherdsl.home.mindspring.com/_images/rhtkit.htm
THD, lower is better. The ratings you see on CD players and amps these days are SOOO low that you're really going to ignore those and go for things like sound quality in general, features, etc.
S/N Ratio, higher is better. Again, most things have awesome S/N ratios now, go for features and overall sound quality.
You can't buy a system on specs alone. You have to go and listen to it hooked up and decide if you like it. If it's great on paper and the high frequencies give you a major headache after 5 minutes, something's wrong. Try different speakers, amps, or something.
Randy Thatcher
1990 SPG - Blaupunkt Heidelburg, Blaupunkt 6x9's, Blaupunkt front drivers
1994 C900TC - Stock Saab Clarion gear
2000 9-3 - Stock Saab system - love the steering wheel controls, sound quality is fair for a car of its price range
posted by 66.32.4...
, Wed, 24 Apr 2002 00:16:17
, Wed, 24 Apr 2002 10:56:26, Wed, 24 Apr 2002 11:00:20, Wed, 24 Apr 2002 08:39:51 <-- Viewing This Message
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