how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

[Quencho092]

was just curious to know what impacts loudness the most.

Let's just say i have a 50 watt fender style amp.

How much louder can a more efficient speaker make it, and would a more efficient speaker give it more headroom? Does speaker efficiency affect the amp's tube breakup?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

was just curious to know what impacts loudness the most.

Let's just say i have a 50 watt fender style amp.

How much louder can a more efficient speaker make it, and would a more efficient speaker give it more headroom? Does speaker efficiency affect the amp's tube breakup?

as for the amp breakup, a speaker will not affect the amp break up. but less efficient speakers do have cone break up, this is where the speaker actually has some crunch when it gets pushed hard enough, if you have cone break up and you go to a more efficient speaker that will go away. Now, about volume...the way speaker efficienty is measured is in decibles. What they do is put a tone through the speaker with one watt (RMS) of power and measure the decible level at one meter away. When they right this out it will say something like 94db @ 1 watt, @1 meter. Most guitar amp speakers fall into the 88-96 db range, I have seen a few that were 101bd...so if you were to go from something very low like say 88db to something very high like say 101db there would be a huge difference, going form 90db to 92db will not be as big of a difference. I took the stock Oxfords out oif my Fender Twin when I got it and put in a set of EV's...I do not know what the numbers were on either speaker but it was a night and day difference...right now that amp has a set of reissue Fender speakers made by Eminence, and they are good...better in fact than the Oxfords but I do miss the EV's and after a recone they will be going back in it!

I know that was a lot to read, but I hope it helped

 

[Quencho092]

Re: how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

thanks alot. So how do d130f JBL 15 inchers stack up against '75 crusty peavey scorpions? How efficient were the d130f's, and where can i get specs/stats?

 

[Quencho092]

Re: how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

and how does power tube distortion sound without speaker distortion? I've had bad speaker distortion through my peavey speakers since forever and have never used 'good' speakers before....

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

thanks alot. So how do d130f JBL 15 inchers stack up against '75 crusty peavey scorpions? How efficient were the d130f's, and where can i get specs/stats?

I know that Peavey Ram Drivers are Eminence and are about the same db @1 watt @ 1 meter as a typical Eminence, the Peavey Black Widows are much more efficient, but I do not know numbers. As for the JBL's, they are known for being pretty efficient speakers...I would just do a search on the web and get some solid numbers. Of the 2, I would rather have the JBL.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

well remember, these are really old cones. The originals. They've been getting pounded for 40 years. I doubt they'd retain the same efficiency.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: how much does amp power/speaker size/power handling affect loudness and headroom?

well remember, these are really old cones. The originals. They've been getting pounded for 40 years. I doubt they'd retain the same efficiency.

the efficiency is in the voice coil not the cone...they might not be as tight as they once were but still the same efficiency rating.