If you want to compare two or multiple speakers and find the loudest, you have to calculate the max SPL for each of the speakers and compare those values. Making a decision based on the power ratings only would be a mistake since you wouldn’t choose the louder speaker. On the left side, you have some 500W speaker with 92dB sensitivity and, on the right side, you have a 1000W speaker with 84dB sensitivity. So, when looking for the loudest speaker out there, you have to consider both values – power rating and sensitivity.īelow, you can see another example that shows the importance of both values. As you can see, this speaker can reach 115dBs (that’s this speaker’s max loudness or max SPL).Ĭorrelation between SPL and power (500W speaker with 88dB (1W/1m) sensitivity) Our imaginary speaker has the sensitivity of 88dB (at 1W/1m) and it’s rated at 500W. The chart below shows the correlation between loudness and power.
To be precise, the SPL increases by only 3dBs when you double the power. In fact, doubling the power will only cause a subtle increase in SPL. Surprisingly, doubling the power will not double the loudness. Supplying more than 1W will, naturally, result in louder sound (higher SPL). Sensitivity is the ‘’nominal/initial loudness’’ and tells you how loud tone a speaker can produce when supplied with 1W of power. Now that we have established which specs are important for the loudness, let’s discuss their correlation. For now, we will be dealing with dB at 1W. There’s a subtle difference between the two units and we will discuss it in one of our blogs. The only real difference is that some manufacturers prefer to publish their speakers’ sensitivities in dB of SPL at 2.83V while most of the manufacturers use dB of SPL at 1W. Most of the reputable manufacturers respect the usual standards for sensitivity measuring. If there’s no standard, then there’s no way to compare two speakers without hearing them and you don’t always have the chance to try the speaker you want to buy. It’s important to establish all the standards for measuring. Also, if you perform your measurements in a regular room with walls, windows, furniture, etc., you’ll get higher SPL levels (because of sound reflections). So, if for example, you place the microphone one inch away from the speaker, you will get much higher results. Measuring under different circumstances will give you different results. Sensitivity is usually measured with a calibrated mic (SPL meter) in an anechoic room. It basically tells you how loud sound a speaker can make for the given power input (1W) at a given distance (1m away from the center of the speaker cabinet). Sensitivity is usually expressed in dB of SPL (SPL – sound pressure level) at 1W (or at 2.83V) and at 1m distance (usually with only one frequency played). Instead, they only publish max values and if you want to compare two speakers, you will have to compare those peak power ratings. Many manufacturers don’t publish both values (RMS and Peak). Peak power rating is always higher than the RMS power rating and it can tell you how much power that speaker can handle in bursts (for a millisecond or so). RMS power rating (RMS – Root Mean Square) tells you how much power some speaker can handle continuously. It’s expressed in Watts and you can make a difference between two different types of power ratings – RMS and Peak. Power rating tells you how much power a speaker can handle. So, let’s explain the meaning of each term. Together, these specs can tell you how loud a speaker can be. There are two important specs you should be paying attention to – power rating and sensitivity. Yes, the power rating is important and it affects loudness but it’s not the only thing you should consider when looking for the loudest speaker. The idea that a power rating is the main characteristic that determines the loudness of a speaker is a common misconception. What Are the Most Important Specs When It Comes to Speaker Loudness?
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