(Mr 645) wrote:

(Mr 645) wrote:

it's probably not volume that will blow speakers, but distortion will. If
your
pushing the amplifiers to the limits they will start to deliver a 'clipped'
signal to the speakers. In this case the amp cannot deliver the peaks that
the volume and music require for proper listening at the volume you want.

It is much easier to damage speakers with too little power then it is with
too
much.

Again this is an old wives tale. I began audiolife with a 33-watt per channel
Heathkit in 1968 and NEVER once damaged a speaker tweeter or otherwise.

Occasional tweeter failure began occuring when I started using a 200-watt
amplifier and was typically a function of an accident such as hitting the on
switch with interstation radio noise 'tuned' in or a dropped stylus.

It is true that you "can" destroy tweeters with a 50-100 watt receiver but
that's because tweeters often can only handle 10-watts.

Lets say you use a 60 watt per channel amp to push the speakers to a
certain high level, you may start to overheat the speakers and blow them.
But
using a 200 watt amp will let you push to higher sound levels before a
dangerous, clipped signal is delivered by the amps.

Jon
http://www.jonlayephotography.com

"Clipping" doesn't deliver that much more high frequency energy all by itself
in terms of spectrum. But it is true that an amplifier run 10 dB into clipping
will usually be capable of more than rated power output.

nousaine wrote:
If this were true than I should be able to destroy speakers with more and
more
serious underpowering. I've been trying to blow up a tweeter with the output
from my Walkman (really tiny amp) yet have been unable to do so.

OTOH my 5000 watt amplifier will turn practically any tweeter into a fuse in
quick time.

What blows out any speaker is delivering too much power to them. This is
easier
to do with more powerful amplification.

IOW the way to save your tweeters is to keep from delivering more power than
they can handle. because typical tweeters often can only handle 10 watts or
so
its possible to destroy them with relatively small amplifiers.

The most effective way to do this at the consumer level is to turn the volume
control down.

Some points are correct. It is most likely impossible to blow a B&W 801 with
a
walkman. It simply cannot generate enough voltage to do any damage.

So it isn't "underpowering" that causes the problem. I agree.

But you
certainly could with a basic Sony receiver cranked well into audible
distortion, pushing the 40 or 60 watt amps to the max.

Sure you can burn out a 10-watt tweeter with a 50-watt amplifier. That much is
obvious; but you can do the same thing more effectively with a 1000-watt
amplifier.

Now replace that Sony
box with a nice CD player and Pass 1000 watt amps and see how much volume
those
same speakers can take without complaint.

Exactly the same at higher frequencies. It's a Urban Legend that 1000-watts
'clean' power is somehow less dangerous than 50-watts clipped. Sure a given
full range speaker will play louder with a 1000-watt amplifier but the tweeter
still has exactly the same power handling capacity.

I have found that good quality
speakers can easily handle more power then they are rated for provided that
the
power is clean and distortion free. I have also seen various speakers
destroyed by low powered amps pushed beyond their limits. My brother was
always taking out the tweeters on my Boston speakers with an old 20 watt
receiver. Upgrading to a much more powerful model stopped the speaker
damage.

I've heard these stories too. But generally if you dig down into the details of
the situation you'll find that often the extent and precise circumstance of
tweeter damage is not accurately represented or remembered.

The typical tweeter burn-out story often includes someone trying to get a
speaker to play more loudly at middle and low frequencies than it can with
given power. So the volume control is run full throttle and eventually the
10-watt tweeter gets fried.

But there is often other circumstance that gets overlooked. Manufacturers may
make running changes in replecement speakers that does improve power handling
and simultaneous electronic upgrades get credit for tweeter shield they did not
provide.

I have never seen any credible evidence that smaller amplifiers represent less
danger to tweeters than larger amplifiers. Too much power is too much power.

Using a 5000watt amp to power a small tweeter will most likely fry it quick,
but I can't imagine any reason or any person that would do that.

I use occasionally use a 5000 watt amplifier to test car speakers. I also have
50, 100 and 250 watt ampliifers. The tweeters are far safer with the smaller
units although any of them will take out a 10-watt tweeter with an accidental
burst of MLS noise.

But lets
say
that a speaker is rated to handle 200 watts. You will have a much easier
time
damaging it with a 30 watt receiver then with a pair of 400 watt high quality
amps.
http://www.jonlayephotography.com

This is simply not the case. It is true that a 30-watt receiver can take out a
10-watt tweeter included with a 250-watt rated loudspeaker system but so can
any amplifier with higher power capability.