In article 41a909c9$0$15230$afc38c87@, Don Ritchie
wrote:

Other then the obvious (3 inches), what is the REAL difference
(in use) between 12 inch speaker and a 15 inch speaker.

A well made 15 inch woofer can produce bass that goes slightly
deeper than a 12 inch speaker. A poorly made 15 inch speaker
will just make more mush out of the music.

-john-

--
================================================== ==================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ==================

"John A. Weeks III" wrote in message
...
In article 41a909c9$0$15230$afc38c87@, Don Ritchie
wrote:

Other then the obvious (3 inches), what is the REAL difference
(in use) between 12 inch speaker and a 15 inch speaker.

A well made 15 inch woofer can produce bass that goes slightly
deeper than a 12 inch speaker. A poorly made 15 inch speaker
will just make more mush out of the music.

They also have different polar patterns. I've seen the 12 vs 15
inch discussion a couple of times (re sound reinforcement)
over at news:alt.audio.pro.live-sound

"John A. Weeks III" wrote in message

In article 41a909c9$0$15230$afc38c87@, Don Ritchie
wrote:

Other then the obvious (3 inches), what is the REAL difference
(in use) between 12 inch speaker and a 15 inch speaker.

A well made 15 inch woofer can produce bass that goes slightly
deeper than a 12 inch speaker. A poorly made 15 inch speaker
will just make more mush out of the music.

I think the point is that 15 inch woofers differ at least as much from each
other as the various 15 inch woofers differ from each other.

While all other things being equal, a 15 inch woofer will be somewhat more
directive at middle frequencies than a 12 woofer, there are a number of ways
to make the woofers unequal, resulting in a 12 inch woofer with more
directivity than a 15 inch woofer.

Again, if the speakers have equal Xmax, a 15 inch woofer will probably pump
more bass than a 12 inch woofer, there are a lot of 12 inch woofers with far
more Xmax than other 15 inch woofers, and therefore pump more bass.

Probably the only certain thing is that the 15 inch woofer is about 3 inch
larger in diameter than a 12 inch. However, with appropriate marketing and
sales promotion slight-of-hand, even that mibht be fudged, at least in
someone's mind.

Richard Crowley wrote:
"John A. Weeks III" wrote in message
...
In article 41a909c9$0$15230$afc38c87@, Don Ritchie
wrote:

Other then the obvious (3 inches), what is the REAL difference
(in use) between 12 inch speaker and a 15 inch speaker.

A well made 15 inch woofer can produce bass that goes slightly
deeper than a 12 inch speaker. A poorly made 15 inch speaker
will just make more mush out of the music.

They also have different polar patterns. I've seen the 12 vs 15
inch discussion a couple of times (re sound reinforcement)
over at news:alt.audio.pro.live-sound

Yes, but once you put them in the cabinet you can play with the polar
pattern anyway by changing the size of the front baffle.

A 15" woofer will have twice the surface area as a 12" woofer.
Therefore it can move twice as much air with the same Xmax. But,
it will tend to break up more `since it has the same cone material
but a longer path to breakup (this is a horrible oversimplification,
but all you really need know is that the breakup modes are different).

What you REALLY care about as far as the depth of bass is the resonant
frequencies of the box/driver combination. I have heard some 10" drivers
with a 16 Hz free-air resonance, and some 15" drivers with a free-air
resonance more than two octaves higher.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

What is the difference between a 0.3 " and a 0.5" machine gun?Both the
bullet and the barrel look mightier.The 0.5 also produces stronger sound
when fired.The same (should) apply to speakers.

--
Tzortzakakis Dimitri?s
major in electrical engineering, freelance electrician
FH von Iraklion-Kreta, freiberuflicher Elektriker
dimtzort AT otenet DOT gr
? "John A. Weeks III" ?????? ??? ??????
...
In article 41a909c9$0$15230$afc38c87@, Don Ritchie
wrote:

Other then the obvious (3 inches), what is the REAL difference
(in use) between 12 inch speaker and a 15 inch speaker.

A well made 15 inch woofer can produce bass that goes slightly
deeper than a 12 inch speaker. A poorly made 15 inch speaker
will just make more mush out of the music.

-john-

--
================================================== ==================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ==================

There are way too many variables to make a blanket statement..most important is
the intened application. Currently some of the most powerful subs..true
subs..in the world use 12" speakers. EAW KF940, 760,BH 822..SPL BDeap 32's,
BDeapR's.and the home brew LAB sub...all relatively inexpensive Eminence 12's.


John A. Chiara
SOS Recording Studio
Live Sound Inc.
Albany, NY
www.sosrecording.net
518-449-1637

From: "Dimitrios Tzortzakakis"
Date: 11/28/04 2:51 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

What is the difference between a 0.3 " and a 0.5" machine gun?Both the
bullet and the barrel look mightier.The 0.5 also produces stronger sound
when fired.The same (should) apply to speakers.

Hmmmm... I see what your saying here but there are many differences in a 30 and
50 cal bullet, some including powder, barrel and what type of situation you are
shooting in, jungle, open planes, penetrating armer etc.
Speakers on the other hand can be a bit difficult to understand...what about
manufactures that have a 12" and a 15" of the same type (like JBL's old 2245
line with 12" and 15") are they identical in all but size?

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...


I think the point is that 15 inch woofers differ at least as much from
each other as the various 15 inch woofers differ from each other.


The original poster requested a dumb answer. You have more than
met his expectations.