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Alongside the Power Sound Audio Subwoofers, we have almost introduced their range of speakers to our demo room, and we look at why they (and other high efficiency speakers) can save you money in other areas due to their high efficiency..
The MT110 utilise a 10” woofer and 1” compression tweeter (with horn). Efficiency wise they are rated at 95dB 1w/1m. More information here.
The MTM210 utilise 2 10” woofers and a single 1” compression tweeter (with horn). Efficiency wise they are rated at 98dB at 1w/1m. More information here
Now we look at what this means….
What is reference level for Home Cinema?
Per THX, 85db is reference level, and you will also need 20db headroom from each channel. It should be noted that some AV Receivers/Processors and test discs use 75db to calibrate using their test tones simply because 10db less is easier to tolerate for the process. The LFE channel is 10db louder, so reference is 95db with the headroom to 115db. These measurements are based on the measurement at the seating position.
Why High efficiency speakers?
At 1m The Power Sound Audio MTM210 needs just 5W to reach reference level, whilst the MT110 needs 10W. If we compare this to speakers that have 85db, 87db, 89db and 91db, they would need 100W, 63W, 40W and 25W respectively.
Now most people will not sit 1m from their speakers, so if we use 3m as an average position, the MTM210 and MT110 will require 45W and 90W respectively, compared to 900W, 568W, 358W and 226W required by the speakers with sensitivity of 85db, 87db, 89db and 91db respectively (note 1).
We have gather some further information based on efficiency and speaker distances, and have included a graph below, please click for a larger image (note 1):
So where is the money saving?
The money saving, is the saving in the electronics to power the speakers. As an example, using 5 x MTM210 you are unlikely to need a power amplifier, if you are using a mid-level AV Receiver or above.
Peoples thoughts on high efficiency speakers
The first time people hear high efficiency speakers, comments are often similar to adding a power amplifier to a system i.e. the sound is more dynamic, little nuances can now be heard, and listening at higher volumes is less fatiguing etc, and this is because the speakers are being driven properly, without clipping.
If you want any more information, or want to demo, please do not hesitate to contact us
Notes
Note 1. The figures required from are based on measurements taken in open air, room gain will influence the figures depending on the amount of gain (this can be between 0-6db). An extra 3db of headroom may be required from the electronics, so that there is less risk of clipping as 105db is reached.