Measuring Sensitivity for Multi-driver System

kabennett · 28th October 2010, 07:40 PM

I'm struggling to understand and calculate sensitivity for a two-way system. I know how to calculate Efficiency and/or Sensitivity for a single driver in free-air, but don't know how to do it for a completed system.

Can it be calculated or can it only be measured? Does the enclosure affect sensitivity?

sreten · 08:01 PM

Hi,

Calculated and measured sensitivity is into half space. Bass for for a box is 6dB
below that, as its into full space. Depending on the amount of BSC the midrange
sensitivity is usually 3dB to 6dB below the nominal bass half space sensitivity.
i.e. for a 89dB bass/mid 2 way the sensitivity is 83dB to 86dB.

rgds, sreten.

undefinition
Zaph|Audio
FRD Consortium tools guide
RJB Audio Projects
Speaker Design Works
HTGuide Forum - A Guide to HTguide.com Completed Speaker Designs.
Humble Homemade Hifi
Click below to go to
Quarter Wavelength Loudspeaker Design
The Frugal-Horns Site -- High Performance, Low Cost DIY Horn Designs
Linkwitz Lab - Loudspeaker Design
Music and Design

kabennett · 2nd November 2010, 10:31 PM

I'm trying to do a couple things:

1) Calculate the total sensitivity of a given pair of tweeter and woofer and
2) Understand at a fundamental level how to match tweeters and woofers.

I was looking for formulas and maybe some sort of text or reference. I have D'Appolito's "Testing Loudspeakers", Eargle's "Loundspeaker Handbook", Dickason's "LDC v6", and Murphy's "Intro to Loudspeaker Design". I feel certain what I'm looking for is in one (or most!) of those, but somehow I'm missing it.

Any help, directly or via reference to a location in one of those books would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

sreten · 5th November 2010, 10:00 AM

Hi,

Its essentially as I outlined. Mid band sensistivity depends on the amount
of BSC (baffle step correction), 3 to 6dB below the bass / mid drivers
nominal midband sensitivity measured on a half space large flat baffle.

The tweeter level is set to match the chosen midband sensitivity.

See lots of examples in the links I posted.

rgds, sreten.

kabennett · 5th November 2010, 10:01 PM

The LINKS!!....right. Apparently I'm thick as a brick, I thought the links you posted were part of your signature and totally ignored them. Will take a look. Thx.

28th October 2010, 07:40 PM	#1
kabennett diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2010	Measuring Sensitivity for Multi-driver System I'm struggling to understand and calculate sensitivity for a two-way system. I know how to calculate Efficiency and/or Sensitivity for a single driver in free-air, but don't know how to do it for a completed system. Can it be calculated or can it only be measured? Does the enclosure affect sensitivity?

28th October 2010, 07:55 PM	#2
sreten diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK	Hi, Calculated and measured sensitivity is into half space. Bass for for a box is 6dB below that, as its into full space. Depending on the amount of BSC the midrange sensitivity is usually 3dB to 6dB below the nominal bass half space sensitivity. i.e. for a 89dB bass/mid 2 way the sensitivity is 83dB to 86dB. rgds, sreten. undefinition Zaph\|Audio FRD Consortium tools guide RJB Audio Projects Speaker Design Works HTGuide Forum - A Guide to HTguide.com Completed Speaker Designs. Humble Homemade Hifi Click below to go to Quarter Wavelength Loudspeaker Design The Frugal-Horns Site -- High Performance, Low Cost DIY Horn Designs Linkwitz Lab - Loudspeaker Design Music and Design __________________ There is nothing so practical as a really good theory - Ludwig Boltzmann When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail - Abraham Maslow Last edited by sreten; 28th October 2010 at 08:01 PM.

5th November 2010, 10:00 AM	#4
sreten diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK	Hi, Its essentially as I outlined. Mid band sensistivity depends on the amount of BSC (baffle step correction), 3 to 6dB below the bass / mid drivers nominal midband sensitivity measured on a half space large flat baffle. The tweeter level is set to match the chosen midband sensitivity. See lots of examples in the links I posted. rgds, sreten. __________________ There is nothing so practical as a really good theory - Ludwig Boltzmann When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail - Abraham Maslow

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2nd November 2010, 10:31 PM	#3
kabennett diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2010	I'm trying to do a couple things: 1) Calculate the total sensitivity of a given pair of tweeter and woofer and 2) Understand at a fundamental level how to match tweeters and woofers. I was looking for formulas and maybe some sort of text or reference. I have D'Appolito's "Testing Loudspeakers", Eargle's "Loundspeaker Handbook", Dickason's "LDC v6", and Murphy's "Intro to Loudspeaker Design". I feel certain what I'm looking for is in one (or most!) of those, but somehow I'm missing it. Any help, directly or via reference to a location in one of those books would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

5th November 2010, 10:01 PM	#5
kabennett diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2010	The LINKS!!....right. Apparently I'm thick as a brick, I thought the links you posted were part of your signature and totally ignored them. Will take a look. Thx.

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