Yamahaluver

Yamahaluver

Audioholic General
<font color='#0000FF'>http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html


com

For all who need to calculate their wattage requirments, you would be surprised what 80 watts RMS can stretch to.</font>
 
G

Guest

Guest
<font color='#000000'>A very handy little calculator.  Thanks for the link.

I checked my own setup and the results were surprisingly accurate.  According to the calculator, with my high-sensitivity speakers (96dB) and massive power (1000wpcRMS) the calculator shows a peak SPL of around 119 dB.  With musical content that has a peak to average ratio of 20dB (a safe value seldom exceeded) that would put me very close to 100dB SPL as indicated on the typical SPL meter.  I actually get slightly higher levels, due to room support for the lower frequencies and controlled dispersion of the higher frequencies, but the calculator results are close enough to be used as a guideline.  Just don't forget to adjust for the difference between the calculated peak SPL and what we read on our SPL meters.  On average that will be around 10dB, but with some recordings it can reach 20dB.

Just for the record, I don't listen with my SPL meter hitting 100dB very often, and strongly advise against the practice, as it can damage one's hearing.  Recordings with lots of deep bass energy (pipe organ, synth, etc.) are less damaging, and there are a few recordings that are quite stunning at levels in excess of 100dB (on heavy bass passages) but for most recordings this is simply a way to put your ears at risk.

If your SPL meter is showing peaks of 85 to 90 dB, your ears are relatively safe, even though some transients may be 20db above the measured level.  The short-term transients demand more amplifier power but their duration isn't long enough to do any damage to the ears.

RADAR O'</font>
 
Yamahaluver

Yamahaluver

Audioholic General
<font color='#0000FF'>WOW! 1000RMS per channel, that must be one huge amp, what kind of amp are you using Radar?

Glad that you found the calculator usefull, hope others would too before they go deaf.</font>
 
G

Guest

Guest
<font color='#000000'>After I made the last post I realized that I'd made a mistake, and once corrected, the little calculator produces even more accurate results. &nbsp;I was thinking about my mains, without the sub, but the mains are bi-amped, and I totally forgot about the 600wpc amp driving the mid-woofers. &nbsp;As it turns out what I said about getting a little more output than the calculator indicates it's now too close to call. &nbsp;I doubt the results will be that accurate for other systems in other rooms, but it's still a handy little tool, and a heck of a lot easier than doing the calculations with Excel.

The amps I use (1000 wpc for the mid-tweeters, 600 wpc for the mid-woofers, and 1200 watts mono for the sub, are actually all three the same amp. &nbsp;The different power figures are due to different impedances, and the fact that the sub amp is bridged. &nbsp;The amps deliver 600 wpc into 4-ohms, 1200 bridged for mono into 4-ohms, or 1000 wpc into a 2-ohm load. &nbsp;Here are a few links to info on the commercial version:

http://www.innersound.net/esl300whitepap.html

http://www.innersound.net/esl300specs.html

http://www.innersound.net/esl300review.html

RADAR O'</font>
 
Yamahaluver

Yamahaluver

Audioholic General
<font color='#0000FF'>That is some serious wattage, are you using a dedicated power line? Also what brand speakers are you using for this setup.</font>
 

Latest posts

newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top