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What is your system capable of?

x_25

x_25

Big Vandies!! Mwahahah...
I am making this thread, not for your impression of how your system sounds, but for numbers of what it can do. So lets see some db levels and graphs. Also of curiosity is at what level you keep it for normal listening.


So my system.

Speakers - JBL CF150's
98db @ 1w @ 1m
15" woofer
6.5" mid
1" tweeter
Frequency Response(-6db) 32hz to 20khz

Receiver - Realistic STA-85
35wpc
THD 0.3%

CDP - Magnavox FD1051 BK-01

TT - Dual 1009 with a Pickering XV-15 400E (I can't find rumble, wow and flutter specs for this. But the wow and flutter are minimal with a 7.5lb platter that does not like to change speed.)

Amazingly, my massive speakers can play really quietly, just berily being audible. The Radio Shack SPL meter I was useing couldn't actually measure it, even at 3 feet so that puts it a less than 50db (this is with the loudness on).

Measuring my average listening level, cam out to be between 60 and 70db (8ft back at my listening spot) I did not realize that I listened to it this quietly.

My receiver needs some help so I put it up to the max volume that I felt it could handle (any higher and the lights start dimming and strange things start happening). At my listening spot I got 104db, which is darn loud. (working backwards from the db level with an spl calculator this means my amp is only putting out 10 to 15wpc before it starts having problems, I need to take a look at it).

Now for some fun things, graphs. I played white noise from a test CD on my system and, using a spectrum analyzer that one of my coworkers wrote, came up with this graph of frequencies at my listening spot, less then +- 3db from 30hz to 10khz (where the mike drops off rapidly, so I cannot measure above that).

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and a picture of my set up.

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Getting the police to my doorstep.......Been there,done that...
 
Black Magnavox bookshelf speakers about the size of the Insignia speakers capable of producing the 30Hz-40Hz Synth Basslines in rap and techno music music (with the loudness on of course).

Large 1970's Morse electrophonic air suspension horn speakers that can blare out 70's music like nobody's business. You will need a sub if you want to make Booming noises with them so they only get turned on when I play rock.
 
My system is occasionally capable of making me forget I am listening to a stereo system. For me that is THE goal. The rest of it is BS.
 
Now for some fun things, graphs. I played white noise from a test CD on my system and, using a spectrum analyzer that one of my coworkers wrote, came up with this graph of frequencies at my listening spot, less then +- 3db from 30hz to 10khz (where the mike drops off rapidly, so I cannot measure above that).
Click to expand...

I'm curious about your graph. What is the difference between the skinny line and the fat line. Is the skinny one the actual measurements and the fine the average? Or is some kind of weighting being applied to the fat line?

Did you have your EQ bypassed or does this include the EQ? The reason I ask is that with the right formula one could probably guess the length of you back wall based on the thin line. The peaks on the graph should match the resonant frequency(s) of your room.
 
Funny- a recent thread on this got me curious enough to blast through the rough (theoretical) math on the JBLs in a couple of my rooms, but I stopped after a while 'cause it just got silly.

Here's just one of those rooms, but these systems don't play simultaneously (good thing!). This also doesn't include the multiple guitar amps in there, or the drums- just for kicks I once measured the SPL of me sitting behind the drums playing at an average level, it was ~100-104dB:

Two JBL TR225s powered by Urei 6260 @ 300WPC:

102 @ 1 watt
105 @ 2 watts
108 @ 4 watts
111 @ 8 watts
114 @ 16 watts
117 @ 32 watts
120 @ 64 watts
...etc. Ouch. These also usually run along with two floor monitors powered by a Yamaha P2100. Needless to say, the levels on the amps are generally at -22dB max on all the amps, barely breaking a sweat.

Two JBL L100s powered by Yamaha P2100 @ 95WPC (also usually at -22dB):

91 @ 1 watt
94 @ 2 watts
97 @ 4 watts
100 @ 8 watts
103 @ 16 watts
106 @ 32 watts
109 @ 64 watts

Five JBL L46s powered by Elan Z-Amp @ 60WPC (plus a Velodyne sub):

88 @ 1 watt
91 @ 2 watts
94 @ 4 watts
97 @ 8 watts
100 @ 16 watts
103 @ 32 watts
106 @ 64 watts

Two JBL HP420s powered by Audio Control Architect @ 50 WPC (hardly used, just a temp set up for testing):

89 @ 1 watt
92 @ 2 watts
95 @ 4 watts
98 @ 8 watts
101 @ 16 watts
104 @ 32 watts
107 @ 64 watts

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resqguy said:
I'm curious about your graph. What is the difference between the skinny line and the fat line. Is the skinny one the actual measurements and the fine the average? Or is some kind of weighting being applied to the fat line?

Did you have your EQ bypassed or does this include the EQ? The reason I ask is that with the right formula one could probably guess the length of you back wall based on the thin line. The peaks on the graph should match the resonant frequency(s) of your room.
Click to expand...

The graph picks up a lot of noise from my sound card so I opened it in paint and, based on a bunch of other graphs I had, I made an average. :D it is actually prity close to the one on the front of the speakers. And the EQ is bypassed.
 
Polk Audio Stereo Dimensional Array-Signature Reference System 1.2 Trilaminate loudspeakers:
Eight 6.5" woofers, four 1" dome tweeters, one 15" passive radiator per cabinet.
Listed as +/- 3db from 27Hz to 25KHz with 91db efficiency.

Powered by a Phase Linear Series I 200WPC power amplifier.

91 @ 1W
94 @ 2
97 @ 4
100 @ 8
103 @ 16
106 @ 32
109 @ 64
112 @ 128

So I'd guess somewhere around 114 db with the amp wide open. I've had the meters up to 150W now and then with pipe organ music, but I was wearing hearing protection and the walls were shaking.

The speakers are rated at up to 1000W per channel at whatever their test frequency is. I'm thinking with a better power amp I could go from crazy to terrifying. :D
 
occasionally capable of making me forget I am listening to a stereo system.
Click to expand...

+1

Oh, and it can make me smile after a long day at work. :thmbsp:

2 x MC2125 amps in mono (240W each)
2 KEF 105 speakers
 
At one point in college, I had a sub that could be heard from a block away.. Has little to do with SPL but its a friendly reminder of why NOT to be a dickhead to me if your a neighbor downstairs LOL.
 
I am scared to know.....

According to Musical Fidelity's calculator....

60wpc Onkyo TX-4500 +JBL 4311 is.....

Between 103 and 104db at LISTENING position....Pretty respectable for a second floor apartment.

Now, with my Peavey CS-400 in the system, at 120wpc@ 8ohms...plus JBL 4311, a little over 106db.......Never pushed it that far, tho.
a little over
 
When the tornado alarm siren's go off in the summer I wonder what db they are? If I hooked up some Zepplin to them would they sound good?
 
I could go to 117db before maxing my amp out. But my voice coils would probably melt above 112.

My average listening level is about 85db.
 
I don't know what the numbers are, but anything over about 4 on the volume dial gives me a headache and makes my dogs want to find a new home.


_________________________
Living room system:

Sansui 9090DB
Technics SL-1700 MKII, SL-1610 MKII
Pioneer CT-F1000
Teac 4010S
Pioneer HPM-100's

_________________________
2nd living room / test system:

Marantz 1250 Integrated Amp
Technics ST-8600 Tuner
Pioneer PL-530 TT
Akai GX-270D
Infinity SM-112's
Klipsch SW-8 sub

None of it is super spectacular, but it sounds like magic to these old ears.
 
Mine's capable of heating my listening building in the winter with just the tubes; (no joke). Also can do the sda effect with polk 2.3s. Or sound very forward with a pair of infinity q3's playing. And my favorite it can image quite nicely with the klh 12's powered by tubes. After hours I can combine all 3 in endless combinations of all the above. Oh yeah last but not least it can play records, cds, and sat radio quite nicely and keep me occupied and broke.
 
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