Speaker output levels

Montoya
Montoya Posts: 506
edited February 2010 in 2 Channel Audio
How can you determine when your going overboard with speaker output? I have driven my speakers Usher X-718 to 87db on the meter it's loud but extremely clear. My amp seems like it won't run out of steam and the speakers only seem to be flexing a little. But when is it to much I was not listening this loud for extended time just for a song or two. I know concerts are much louder than this at least 105db or more. But for a home speaker what is the factor that deems the max output of the speaker if your amp is giving no distortion?
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  • dougy
    dougy Posts: 182
    edited February 2010
    To over-simplify, as long as it sounds good, you're probably OK.:) Different speakers "peak" in different ways though, depending on where their weak link is. With some, the tweeter will just fry from too much current. But usually, low frequency distortion will become audible as your first early warning. The bass will sound less punchy and clean. Eventually you could even hear the voice coils banging at the limits of their travel. Dynamic compression will also set in at some point as the woofer voice coils heat up; the music can get louder, but the dynamics become squashed as resistance within the voice coil rises.

    A good rule of thumb, I find, is that if you can't hear your own normal speaking voice over the music, it's too danged loud!:D
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  • xrapidx
    xrapidx Posts: 73
    edited February 2010
    I was wondering the same thing - I've only gone to -2db on my receiver because I'm damn scared of damaging my RTi A9's

    Is it normal to go about 0db?
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  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited February 2010
    xrapidx wrote: »
    I was wondering the same thing - I've only gone to -2db on my receiver because I'm damn scared of damaging my RTi A9's

    Is it normal to go about 0db?

    THIS is too d@mn loud:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXM9Nml_74
    TNRabbit
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited February 2010
    TNRabbit wrote: »
    THIS is too d@mn loud:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXM9Nml_74

    That is a classic scene.:eek:
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