Frequency Range Help.

[hamburglar]

I get confused on the frequency ranges on speakers.

I am looking at 2 speakers right now. the Canton LE 190 and the Axiom M80ti.

Here is what their two sites have listed. Am I correct that the Canton has a larger range?

thanks for any help.

Canton LE 190
# Frequency response: 20...30.000 Hz
# Crossover response: 300 / 3.200 Hz

Axiom M80ti
Freq Resp +/-3dB (Hz): 34 - 22 kHz
Freq Resp +3dB- 9dB (Hz): 25 - 22kHz

 

[j_garcia]

They haven't given you quite enough information to compare effectively. The Cantons spec isn't telling you if that is -3dB or not. Some manufacturers will inflate their response, particularly the bass, by giving you the total response, but what is commonly used to compare is the 3dB down or -3dB points. That represents a 50% decrease in SPL, meaning that is where the speaker's response is noticably, audibly dropping off. If those are the -3dB numbers for Canton, then yes it would seem to have a significant advantage in the bass department.

 

[mike c]

even subwoofers have trouble going to 20. even dual tweeter towers have trouble going to 30khz.

how come i can't find the website of canton.

 

[markw]

Just like they told you, both here and at AR, without a variance (+/- db) range, the specs are worthless. While the first speaker "may" accept signals at 20 hz and attempt to play them back, it could well be at a level so far down from the rest of the range that it will be inaudible.

Note on the second speaker that two ranges are given, the first within 3 db and the second, where the range gives a variance of +3/-9 db. This means that as you approach the extents of the speakers range, it's level drops, sometimes significantly.

I'd be somewhat hesitant to take the first speakers specs and assume that, based simply on the overall range stated, it's "better" than the second ones. At least the second speaker tells you where it falls off. The first doesn't. What does it have to hide?

 

[Leprkon]

even dual tweeter towers have trouble going to 30khz.

If you plan to buy speakers because they went to 30KHz, that's the wrong reason. It might impress your friends, but you'll never hear it. Most human hearing drops off by 18KHz, and by 13 KHZ once you get past 40. This all assumes no damage due to rap music...

Your dog might appreciate the extended range, but you're wasting money basing a purchase on that.

 

[mike c]

If you plan to buy speakers because they went to 30KHz, that's the wrong reason. It might impress your friends, but you'll never hear it. Most human hearing drops off by 18KHz, and by 13 KHZ once you get past 40. This all assumes no damage due to rap music...

Your dog might appreciate the extended range, but you're wasting money basing a purchase on that.

agreed. I heard (but not anymore - pun intended) sometime before that little children can hear the higher KHz and that diminishes really fast with age. kinda like a half-life.

 

[JaceTheAce]

Well the human ear has an effective hearing range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz - so anything above 20,000 Hz will not be recognized.

 

[j_garcia]

Well the human ear has an effective hearing range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz - so anything above 20,000 Hz will not be recognized.

I read an article that said by 35 most males have lost much of their ability to hear above 15kHz. The ability of a speaker to play above and below the human hearing range is said to of a benefit because while most cannot necessarily hear that sound, those frequencies do still have an effect on what we do hear. I don't know about above 20kHz, but definitely below 20Hz, there is a HUGE influence. 20-20k is also a rough estimate, certain people may be capable of hearing higher and lower. I can actually hear 18Hz on my system, but below that it becomes nothing but air movement. The vibration still has a considerable impact, but my guess is the Cantons do not actually even get down to 20Hz with any serious output.

 

[audio ninja]

Somewhere in audioholics set up tips and info, I read that most of high frequency sound heard in movies peaks out around 12khz, which is good news for all the 40+ rappers out there.

I found it:
http://www.canton.de/index.php?pg_id=14,30,le190

The information is too vague, but also revealing. What an odd combination of one 1" tweeter, one 7" mid, and two 8" woofers. . Based on the fact that it's largest drivers are 8", I agree there will not be any audible sound in the 20hz range, not to mention some missing midrange detail with a 7" mid.

Hamburglar, The specs that Axiom provides shows the accuracy of sound heard between that frequency range, not what the speaker is limited to. Notice how the published Freq Resp changes from +3db -3db to +3dB- 9dB. Accordingly, see how the frequency 34hz - 22khz is expanded to 25hz - 22khz. Between 34hz and 25hz, there is a gradual decease of 6db, thus explaining the change +3db -3db to +3dB- 9dB. In other words, a 25hz sound won't playback as loud as a 34hz sound.

Based on audioholic's reviews of Axiom and their speakers, I believe them to be your best choice.

 

[Buckle-meister]

What an odd combination of one 1" tweeter, one 7" mid, and two 8" woofers.

What makes you think it's an odd combination just because each driver is of a different diameter?

Based on the fact that it's largest drivers are 8", I agree there will not be any audible sound in the 20hz range, not to mention some missing midrange detail with a 7" mid.

Missing midrange? How exactly do you arrive at that conclusion?

 

[jonnythan]

What makes you think it's an odd combination just because each driver is of a different diameter?

I'd think that with nothing in between a 1" tweeter and a 7" driver, it may be difficult to get a flat frequency response in a certain range, maybe something somewhere in 1,000 - 6,000 Hz. That's just a random guess, though it may hold some weight because most speakers I've seen (which really aren't that many) have at least one midrange in the 3" - 6.25" range.

I have no idea about this particular speaker though.

 

[j_garcia]

While it is generally true that a larger driver may have more difficulty with the upper midrange, it really depends on what the drivers were designed to do. Depending on the design, an 8" can be used as a midrange or in a sub woofer application, but the two will be very different drivers in design.

 

[audio ninja]

What makes you think it's an odd combination just because each driver is of a different diameter?

No, not just because they're different. It's the 1st speaker I've seen with a 7" mid, usually it's 4 1/4" or 5 1/4" closer to half the size of the woofer


Missing midrange? How exactly do you arrive at that conclusion?

I could be wrong on this. Like J_Garcia said, the 7" and 8" drivers are very different in design depending on the application. Just remembered that many Kef speakers have mids and woofers of the same size, but appear in the familiar 6 1/2" diameter. A 7" mid is new to me

 

[Sheep]

What makes you think it's an odd combination just because each driver is of a different diameter?
Missing midrange? How exactly do you arrive at that conclusion?

Agreed. Driver size doesn't mean EVERYTHING when it comes to FR. There's lots of 7inch midrange drivers out there.

SheepStar