I have a fairly rookie question here. I just got myself a pair of used JBL N38II and specs say max RMS output power is 175W
JBL N38II Specs - CNET
Is this for the pair or for each speaker? I am using a 150W rated amp (Honey Badger). The amp rating is per channel. Does it match my speakers?
JBL N38II Specs - CNET
Is this for the pair or for each speaker? I am using a 150W rated amp (Honey Badger). The amp rating is per channel. Does it match my speakers?
It really doesn’t matter to much. The rms power of the speaker is basically only the thermal load it can handle and sais nothing about the physical limits. Even so, a low power amp can also destroy speakers. Clipping amps can fry tweeters quite easily. So just be careful with any combination, and you should be fine.
Like said, mostly you’re fine.... independent from this:
It would be interesting to blow up this topic a little more complex.
Like this speaker has 90dB / SPL efficiency so needs 1 watt to play pretty loud.
But listening to dynamic music, 90dB RMS slow average C weighting level might require peak level of 96 dB for pop music, 102 for jazz/acoustic, 112 for classical music.
This means >100 watts on the amp for clean peaks.
Assuming the speaker has an absolute flat resistance and phase like a resistor.
Which is not the case. Its a complex load that varies resistance and phase over frequency.
This might draw lot more current in some cycles.
Then also with excursions of coils the impedance varies, depending on the speaker, drawing double. Then the speaker creates its own voltage when the coil moves, which has to be canceled out by the amps feedback system, which increases complexity additionally.
All this explains why stronger amps often can sound better.
But not much is being reported on real examples giving figures and best practice recommendations ... or at least didn’t pass my (ignorant??) eyes
Cheers
Josh
It would be interesting to blow up this topic a little more complex.
Like this speaker has 90dB / SPL efficiency so needs 1 watt to play pretty loud.
But listening to dynamic music, 90dB RMS slow average C weighting level might require peak level of 96 dB for pop music, 102 for jazz/acoustic, 112 for classical music.
This means >100 watts on the amp for clean peaks.
Assuming the speaker has an absolute flat resistance and phase like a resistor.
Which is not the case. Its a complex load that varies resistance and phase over frequency.
This might draw lot more current in some cycles.
Then also with excursions of coils the impedance varies, depending on the speaker, drawing double. Then the speaker creates its own voltage when the coil moves, which has to be canceled out by the amps feedback system, which increases complexity additionally.
All this explains why stronger amps often can sound better.
But not much is being reported on real examples giving figures and best practice recommendations ... or at least didn’t pass my (ignorant??) eyes
Cheers
Josh
Like said, mostly you’re fine.... independent from this:
It would be interesting to blow up this topic a little more complex.
Like this speaker has 90dB / SPL efficiency so needs 1 watt to play pretty loud.
But listening to dynamic music, 90dB RMS slow average C weighting level might require peak level of 96 dB for pop music, 102 for jazz/acoustic, 112 for classical music.
This means >100 watts on the amp for clean peaks.
Assuming the speaker has an absolute flat resistance and phase like a resistor.
Which is not the case. Its a complex load that varies resistance and phase over frequency.
This might draw lot more current in some cycles.
Then also with excursions of coils the impedance varies, depending on the speaker, drawing double. Then the speaker creates its own voltage when the coil moves, which has to be canceled out by the amps feedback system, which increases complexity additionally.
All this explains why stronger amps often can sound better.
But not much is being reported on real examples giving figures and best practice recommendations ... or at least didn’t pass my (ignorant??) eyes
Cheers
Josh
You forgot to take voice coil temperature, enclosure type and room placement into account.
There are probably even more factors...
No, actually you don't
Seriously, let me say as a loudspeaker design engineer that all speaker specifications are unfortunately (due to lack of standardization + bending of the truth or outright lying) at minimum slightly or more often almost entirely meaningless and not useful. Here's how power handling works:
- If when the sound gets bad you TURN IT DOWN, you should always be fine
- If you constantly turn the volume to "11" ignoring distortion and noise, you will likely blow up your speakers and/or amplifier.
The power ratings of each really DO NOT MATTER* I swear to you.
*(OK, unless:
- You plug or unplug hot or drop a needle on record or some such rare tragedy then a huge amp might be worse.
- You want to play super loud and your speaker is wimpy...but wimpy speakers often lie the most regarding power handling specifications...
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