ghostwriter
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- Feb 21, 2021
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I've been looking for some speakers and one of the metrics that I've been keeping an eye on is the maximum output so that I can have an idea of how loud I'll be able to go at certain distances. I'd like to know if my assumptions are correct or if I'm misunderstanding how the dynamic range would relate to the max output of a speaker.
This is my current understanding of maximum output and loudness range:
For example:
KEF LS50 Meta has a maximum output of 106dB. Assuming I want to make use of the full loudness range of movies, I would need to calibrate the speaker's sound level to be 27dB less than the maximum output which is 106dB - 27dB = 79dB at 1 meter. This will allow the loudest sounds in movies to reach the maximum rated output level for the speaker. Given 79dB at 1 meter, I can calculate the expected average dialogue sound level for other listening distances:
These seem a bit low for maximum usable levels at those listening distances. The current top three speakers sorted by preference score are at or under 110dB max output, which isn't much of an improvement. Are these speakers unsuitable for listening to movies at the full loudness range? Assuming I did go higher than the calculated maximum usable sound level, wouldn't I have clipping, distortion, or damage during parts of a movie where the loudness reaches peaks?
This is my current understanding of maximum output and loudness range:
- Maximum output is measured at a distance of 1 meter
- Dialogue in movies is calibrated to an average of -27dBFS
- Sound level reduction is 6dB for every doubling of distance
For example:
KEF LS50 Meta has a maximum output of 106dB. Assuming I want to make use of the full loudness range of movies, I would need to calibrate the speaker's sound level to be 27dB less than the maximum output which is 106dB - 27dB = 79dB at 1 meter. This will allow the loudest sounds in movies to reach the maximum rated output level for the speaker. Given 79dB at 1 meter, I can calculate the expected average dialogue sound level for other listening distances:
Code:
Maximum usable sound level for full loudness range
| meters | decibels | feet |
| 1 | 79 | 3.28 |
| 2 | 73 | 6.56 |
| 3 | 67 | 9.84 |
These seem a bit low for maximum usable levels at those listening distances. The current top three speakers sorted by preference score are at or under 110dB max output, which isn't much of an improvement. Are these speakers unsuitable for listening to movies at the full loudness range? Assuming I did go higher than the calculated maximum usable sound level, wouldn't I have clipping, distortion, or damage during parts of a movie where the loudness reaches peaks?
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