Sensitivity and dB's

[Guest MoJo]

I've read that an increase in 3dB's is approximately equivalent to double the volume. Does that mean that a cabinet with a sensitivity of 103dB 1w/1m is twice as loud as one rated at 100dB 1w/1m

I can't imagine it's that simple as using that theory a Hartke 410 @ 98dB will be so much quieter than a Trace 1048H @ 104dB.

Alex?
Bill?
Anyone?

[Jack]

Nope. 10dB (1B ) is twice as loud, it's a logarithmic scale. You can double the power to get 3dB, and you'll need ten times the power to get an extra 10dB. Most cabs are specced at around a 100dB, I cant think that one cab will really be twice as loud as another unless you're comparing ridiculous things like a massive Fitzmaurice horn against a 6" practice cabinet.


Not that it matters, most cabinet specs are outright lies and the ones that aren't are usually meaningless. EG most bass cabinets are specified for sensitivity at 1kHz, I could make a cabinet that does 100dB at 1kHz with a bandsaw and some plywood right now, but you wouldn't want to use it for bass. Use your ears, or at worts the advice of people that have ears you trust, specs are a waste of time IME. People like Alex and Bill rely on the fact that they're cabinets are simply very good and translate that fact into numbers and specs that people like. They don't lie or stretch the truth because they don't have to. Many manufacturers do, and I'm sure all would want you to use your head rather than buy anything based on specs.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Jack

[Lozz196]

It does make a huge difference. I had an Eden 410 that was 103. Amp volume on 3. I then had a Hartke 410 at 99. Amp had to be on 4 or 5 to get the same volume. I now have a Schroeder 21012 at 104. Amp can go to 3, but it be darn loud. 2 and a bit is better.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1332875792' post='1594383']
It does make a huge difference. I had an Eden 410 that was 103. Amp volume on 3. I then had a Hartke 410 at 99. Amp had to be on 4 or 5 to get the same volume. I now have a Schroeder 21012 at 104. Amp can go to 3, but it be darn loud. 2 and a bit is better.
[/quote]Speaker voicing also makes a huge difference. Both Eden and Schroeder have high tuning, which accenuates sensitivity in the midbass. That boosts midbass sensitivity, but just as important, midbass is more audible than bass. The Hartke probably had higher sensitivity in the lows, so subjectively it wouldn't seem as loud, even though it might have been actually considerbly louder in the lows.
In any event never trust manufacturer SPL specs. They're only as good as the measured SPL chart that accompanies them, and [i]there aren't any[/i].

[Merton]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1332875792' post='1594383']
It does make a huge difference. I had an Eden 410 that was 103. Amp volume on 3. I then had a Hartke 410 at 99. Amp had to be on 4 or 5 to get the same volume. I now have a Schroeder 21012 at 104. Amp can go to 3, but it be darn loud. 2 and a bit is better.
[/quote]

Is that a fair comparison, coz I think (er, recall, i think...) each of those cabs was with a different head too unless i'm mistaken? Volume control position means nowt

[charic]

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1332882137' post='1594507']
Is that a fair comparison, coz I think (er, recall, i think...) each of those cabs was with a different head too unless i'm mistaken? Volume control position means nowt
[/quote]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY[/url]

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1332882137' post='1594507']


Is that a fair comparison, coz I think (er, recall, i think...) each of those cabs was with a different head too unless i'm mistaken? Volume control position means nowt
[/quote]

No, my comparison was all with using my GK MB500 (yes, have had 3 cabs since Dec 2011).

[Merton]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1332916929' post='1594718']
No, my comparison was all with using my GK MB500 (yes, have had 3 cabs since Dec 2011).
[/quote]
Ah I see, you tart