SET Asylum

RE: Can I get by with 2 watts? Used my Dbs meter

107.72.178.143

catbert242000@yahoo.com

A

In Reply to: RE: Can I get by with 2 watts? posted by catbert242000@yahoo.com on December 09, 2021 at 12:43:14

As a follow up; I put a decibel meter (NIOSH SLM) on my phone and used it to measure the sound level in the listening room at a normal, slightly loud IMO listening level - the meter reading ranged about 70 -80 dbl at 2 meters..

The volume dial on the amp was about 25 - 30%.

If the speaker sensitivity is 96/97, what does that say about how many watts are running? Less than 1 watt? is that possible?

Is there any way to measure the power draw with a multi meter?

Follow Ups:

RE: Can I get by with 2 watts? Used my Dbs meter - Paul Joppa 14:37:57 12/13/21 (2)
The main difficulty is that the short-term average sound level (which is measured by sound level meters and VU meters) is much lower than the instantaneous peaks. This difference is called headroom, and can run around 14dB for well-recorded music, and 20dB for movie sound and audiophile recordings.

If the speaker is 97dB per watt, and the sound level meter is at 77dB on peaks, then the average power being used is 20dB less than a watt, or 0.01 watts. If you add in 20dB for headroom, you are up to 1 watt.

There are a lot of assumptions buried in the above analysis, and the variation in individual cases is very large - at least +/-10dB. In practice,something like 102dB peak capability seems to work for most people, most of the time. That would be a bit over 3 watts into a 97dB speaker. Your mileage will almost certainly vary ...
- Gee Paul, that dovetails with my experience, bloody math never lies.~nT - Cleantimestream 10:14:44 12/15/21 (0)
  ~!
  The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.
- Thanks Paul. nt - Tre' 16:56:10 12/13/21 (0)
  .
  Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
  "Still Working the Problem"

Post a Followup:

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?

Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
	Remember my Moniker & Password (What's this?) Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:

Message:	(Posts are subject to Content Rules)

Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:	Automagically notify you when someone responds.

To view your new posting or follow-up, click on the RELOAD or REFRESH button on your browser.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio