Amplifier power regarding speakers, room, ears (Newbie question)

[OldDIY]

Quality, in addition to loudness, assumes an acceptable level of distortion, frequency response, dynamics. Directional characteristics and placement determine the "illumination" of a room with sound.

[ubergeeknz]

Originally Posted by OldDIY

Quality, in addition to loudness, assumes an acceptable level of distortion, frequency response, dynamics. Directional characteristics and placement determine the "illumination" of a room with sound.

Very much this. Power and efficiency are just one factor and don't alone describe the performance of a system. Put something together with what you have, and listen. If you're happy, then it's good enough, if you're not, change it until you are

[OldDIY]

Originally Posted by ubergeeknz

Yes, 85dB is already quite loud. 95 is clutch-your-ears loud. So generally, power levels need not be high. Although some specialised high end speakers are very low efficiency and do need a lot of power.

Don't forget about the noise level in the room. At night it is lower. In the afternoon, near the Highway or airport, above.
Low frequencies are perceived not by the eardrum, but by the cochlea of the inner ear. Roughly speaking, body vibration.

[TasKitas]

I suppose I'll find out more when I'll get proper speakers and as you say, just listen if I like it

[nigelwright7557]

Depends on how loud you like it.
While i have loads of disco gear, in my living room I tend to listen to a USB DAC into a Fane 12-50 W bin. Its just loud enough and is probably no more than 1 watt.

[JMFahey]

into a Fane 12-50 W bin. Its just loud enough and is probably no more than 1 watt.

Fane was always incredibly advanced.
I learnt A LOT from their articles in Wireless World, back in the time, we are talking late 60´s, early 70´s.
They were the first true 100W speaker, the first true 100dB+ speaker outside the Cinema sacred cows (Altec and JBL, maybe WE), they invented the fiberglass former voice coil, etc.
The Lab method they invented to measure *true* power handling, real time, by measuring actual voice coil wire temperature has not been improved on until today.

Stupid loud and efficient, no doubt 1W is LOUD in your living room, specially if mounted in a W bin.

I *guess* you have the cloth edge twin cone version.
Did you add a tweeter or supertweeter to extend HF range?

Not that we can hear much above 10 kHz any more, of course

[nigelwright7557]

In 1980 I built the Maplin disco system.
Records decks with mixer, 225wrms power amp and 2 off Fane 12-50wrms in 2 cabinets.
It was seriously loud. The speakers only worked up to 3KHz but sounded great.
Never had any complaints about them except the volume !
I dont know about the cloth edge.

My hearing is down to 9KHz now. 40 years of DJing and playing rock guitar didn't help !

The one I have now in a W bin was made in 1980. Just nicely broken in.