Forum experts,
This is my first post on the forum, so please excuse any misunderstandings or mistakes—I’m still learning the ropes here!
I’ve been searching for an answer to what I believe is a relatively simple question, but so far, I’ve only found bits and pieces of information. I’m hoping someone here can provide some clarity.
My Question:
How can I calculate the required power handling for my tweeter? In this case, it’s a compression horn tweeter. I’ve read on the forum that a rule of thumb is to use a power rating of around 1/5th of the woofer’s power rating, but I’d like to know if there’s a straightforward way to calculate this. Additionally, how can I calculate the actual power delivered to the tweeter when using an L-pad?
I’ve attached a simple diagram to explain my setup, and I’m always open to suggestions and advice.
Now, I should mention that this is going to be a “scream as loud as you can” type of speaker. Yes, I know this might hurt the hearts of some audiophiles (it hurts mine, too!). But for those of you with teenage sons who task you with building a car speaker setup that can blast sound across a McDonald’s parking lot, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
So, my idea is: why not build some PA-style horns and toss them in the back of the car? It’s simple, it’s loud, and it gets the job done.
Looking forward to your insights and suggestions!
This is my first post on the forum, so please excuse any misunderstandings or mistakes—I’m still learning the ropes here!
I’ve been searching for an answer to what I believe is a relatively simple question, but so far, I’ve only found bits and pieces of information. I’m hoping someone here can provide some clarity.
My Question:
How can I calculate the required power handling for my tweeter? In this case, it’s a compression horn tweeter. I’ve read on the forum that a rule of thumb is to use a power rating of around 1/5th of the woofer’s power rating, but I’d like to know if there’s a straightforward way to calculate this. Additionally, how can I calculate the actual power delivered to the tweeter when using an L-pad?
I’ve attached a simple diagram to explain my setup, and I’m always open to suggestions and advice.
Now, I should mention that this is going to be a “scream as loud as you can” type of speaker. Yes, I know this might hurt the hearts of some audiophiles (it hurts mine, too!). But for those of you with teenage sons who task you with building a car speaker setup that can blast sound across a McDonald’s parking lot, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
So, my idea is: why not build some PA-style horns and toss them in the back of the car? It’s simple, it’s loud, and it gets the job done.
Looking forward to your insights and suggestions!
Attachments
Depends very much on the crossover frequency and the type of music.
Here is a table with suggestions by rod elliott/fane (scroll down a bit):
https://sound-au.com/bi-amp.htm#power_dist
Your suggested tweeter has about 10 dB (or 11) more sensitivity than the woofer (no baffle step in a car, by the way).
That means you should reduce the tweeter level by ~10 dB.
That means the tweeter power will be reduced to 10%.
You should also reconsider and check the x-over.
44 uF does not seem to give a 4.5 kHz crossover frequency for the tweeter.
4.5 kHz seems way too high for a 10" woofer.
And a 6 dB slope is way too shallow to be useful.
With 300 W power the x-over parts will be very expensive. You might consider an active system.
For example: 2 kHz 2nd order X-over (still high for the woofer).
Approximate max Power distribution:
Woofer: 225 W
Tweeter: 75 W, reduced to 7.5 W for correct spl (in case of a passive L-pad it has to convert the rest of the power to heat, very simplified speaking).
Keep in mind (and tell your sons) that inside and everywhere near the car the SPL can and will be dangerously high, leading to hearing loss already after very short time.
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