how many db's

steelervic
steelervic Posts: 142
edited January 2003 in Speakers
when is loud too loud, as far as damaging the speakers is concerned? will there be any warning signs before damage is done?
Post edited by steelervic on
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  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited January 2003
    ATCVenom is mostly right... Speakers will generally distort before they are permanently damaged. Running them for extended periods of time at distortion levels will damage them. Watch tweeters, they're more sensitive to distortion, which is why on most higher-end speakers, the tweeters will have a quick-blow fuse wired in to them. However, when I bought my Polk 5jrs (used), both tweeters were damaged, and only one fuse was blown. It all depends on whether the speakers are distorting because they're not getting enough power, or whether they're distorting because they're getting too much. For woofers, I tend to turn it down if I can hear port noise :-). This doesn't work for all speakers, and correct me if I'm wrong, ATCVenom, but if they're rattling it's a bit too late, no? :-).

    For most high end speakers, as long as you're driving them with clean power, your ears will start to hurt first :-). That is, if you're not deaf already. I'm just a young'un, so maybe that only works for my (as of yet) un-damaged ears :-).

    nadams
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  • wlrandall
    wlrandall Posts: 440
    edited January 2003
    Amplifier clipping has destroyed far more speakers than overpowering them. Be careful and hit that trusty mute button as soon as your hear the nasty distortion. Reduce your bass setting for more headroom, low frequencies are where most of the power is consumed.

    Wally
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited January 2003
    It's 95% about the amp. I blew a 250watt speaker while comparing it to a 35watt speaker. The 250 watt gave signs that I ignored. It was clipping all along. Boom, boom, splat, splat, buzzzz. This was with a receiver rated at 110 watts/ch. I have since listened to a pair of 4 watt speakers with a different receiver at the same volume with minimal signs of distress. I place full blame on the receiver and will not buy another rcvr or amp from them again.

    Welcome to the forum.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited January 2003
    and what kind of reveiver and amp was it? just curious

    so when clipping happens.. it begins to pop the drivers?
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