Inconsistency on Monitor Series Specs or something else I'm not looking at?

omarcusido

I own almost all models of Polk Monitor Series II (Not have only Monitor 50). Reading the specs of each one I realize of this: Starting on the theory that says if we connect two speakers capable of handle 100 W each we will have a 200 W result (100 W + 100 W = 200 W). Now the specs of some speakers:

Monitor 30: 100 W. (This have 1 woofer of 5.25 inches).
Monitor 40: 125 W. (This have 2 woofers of 5.25 inches. If the above is true this one should handle 200 W).
Monitor 60: 200 W. (This have 3 Woofers of 5.25 inches. If above monitor 30 Spec is true this one should handle 300 W).

If someone know why is this I will appreciate your responses.

Thanks.

F1nut

For starters, "Starting on the theory that says if we connect two speakers capable of handle 100 W each we will have a 200 W result (100 W + 100 W = 200 W)." your theory is wrong. It's not an additive rating.

As for the rest, it's all wrong too.

TNHNDYMAN

popcorn hour already?

omarcusido

If the above theory is wrong then how is the rating calculated?

F1nut

As I said, it's not additive. It's for each speaker, not both together.

mhardy6647

F1nut wrote: »

...

As for the rest, it's all wrong too.

But, other than that...

omarcusido

Ok, is not additive, but anybody knows how this can be calculated? In electronic everything is calculated.

pitdogg2

omarcusido wrote: »

In electronic everything is calculated.

Correct but your math is just wrong. one thing to think of is that IF that woofer getting 100w might very well be at the top of what it could handle (excursion). Now you have 2 depending on how it is wired could get by with 125w because 1. you have split the power to the drivers each handling a different freq's. 2. you may very well loose some through the extra wire and crossover 3. now you have 3 drivers and the lowest one may just get say 90hz and below(most of the heavy work) then the other two now carry the other freq's before they hand off to the tweeter which well use the least amount of juice so to speak.

cnh

Welcome to Club Polk.

Just what are you trying to do? If you are running that set up with a HT AVR there is NO reason to sum wattage potentials together because each speaker has its own amplification and the amount of watts each will receive has very little to do with the speaker's maximum load but with the receiver's capabilities in the "surround mode"!

If you are wiring speakers together on the same channel in either parallel or series, there are formulas for that but I would not recommend doing that on an AVR!

OK, I see what you're concerned with. You are wondering about the individual speakers within ONE cabinet and their rating. But it does not work that way. You need to know how the speakers are wired together and how the crossovers are designed. Need a speaker schematic.

cnh

omarcusido

Thanks pitdogg2 for your response, that makes sense to me, so let's say: Monitor 60's are limited to 200 W because with that power after crossover split the signal the lower speaker (making the heavy work) gets all the power that can handle... now sounds logic to me. Thanks for the explanation!

omarcusido

Thanks cnh for your response, actually I'm just curious abut how those numbers are calculated, I think pitdogg2's answer explains very well this rating concern, not trying to achieve nothing special just curiosity. Basically my future plan is to replace my low power AVR with an external Amp and a decent processor . Thinking about Emotiva UMC-200 and XPA-5.

Regards.

F1nut

You shouldn't pay much attention to what a speaker is rated to handle. It's far better off feeding a speaker rated to handle 100 watts with an amp rated at say 300wpc than it is to feed that speaker with an amp rated at 100wpc. Besides that, watts are not the important aspect, current is.

As far as your thoughts on amps, bright speakers and a bright amp does not make for pleaseant listening.

omarcusido

Agree, the more power the amp deliver the more THD (Total harmonic distortion) is on the signal, in my own experience pretty much after 70% of the total power distortion is very noticeable...

ZLTFUL

omarcusido wrote: »

Agree, the more power the amp deliver the more THD (Total harmonic distortion) is on the signal, in my own experience pretty much after 70% of the total power distortion is very noticeable...

That's a pretty general statement and not true of all true high quality high current amps.

omarcusido

Of course some amps are more efficient than others. I just said in my own experience and basically with class D Amps.

lanchile

omarcusido wrote: »

Of course some amps are more efficient than others. I just said in my own experience and basically with class D Amps.

you mean speakers right? I think you are ALL confused here. Speakers are measured in their efficiency or S.P.L

zingo

lanchile wrote: »

Speakers are measured in their efficiency or S.P.L

You mean sensitivity? The efficiency of speakers is actually fairly low, but the sensitivity can be high; i.e. 1v at 1m.

omarcusido

When I stated: "Of course some amps are more efficient than others" I used the word "efficient" to explain the fact that some amps generate more noise than others.

F1nut

When I stated: "Of course some amps are more efficient than others" I used the word "efficient" to explain the fact that some amps generate more noise than others.

That's the signal to noise ratio.

tonyb

F1nut wrote: »

You shouldn't pay much attention to what a speaker is rated to handle. It's far better off feeding a speaker rated to handle 100 watts with an amp rated at say 300wpc than it is to feed that speaker with an amp rated at 100wpc. Besides that, watts are not the important aspect, current is.

As far as your thoughts on amps, bright speakers and a bright amp does not make for pleaseant listening.

This ^^^^^ !!!!!!!

Get your brain away from watts, manufacturer suggested power ratings, THD, and other mostly useless stats and just set your sights on current, high quality current, and all will be fine.

tonyb

omarcusido wrote: »

When I stated: "Of course some amps are more efficient than others" I used the word "efficient" to explain the fact that some amps generate more noise than others.

How do you know it's the amp generating the noise ? Could be another component that a better amp may just enable you to hear better. Could also be a better amp enables distortions to be heard in your source material. Lots of variables, but slight variations in THD ratings in amps I would challenge to even be audible.