Which Is The Best SPL Number?

[SurferJoe46]

Is a higher SPL number better than a lower one?

Someday I may understand some of this acoustic engineering stuff - but I just wonder if this is a good qualifier for a cab or not?

[Bass_Pounder]

If you are talking about sensitivity ratings, the higher the better.

A speaker with a sensitivity rating of 97db needs twice the power of a speaker rated at 100db to be as loud.

[billoetjen]

From the limited information that you provide, it appears to me that "SPL number" could refer to the volume at 1 m for 1 Watt (probably @ 1 KHz).

A couple extra dB is a noticeable difference. 5 - 10 more dB is significant.
But, remember: there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Hopes this starts to answer your question.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by billoetjen

From the limited information that you provide, it appears to me that "SPL number" could refer to the volume at 1 m for 1 Watt (probably @ 1 KHz).

A couple extra dB is a noticeable difference. 5 - 10 more dB is significant.
But, remember: there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Hopes this starts to answer your question.

The psychosomatic part I get. TY --- lol, I think.

I was just looking for a rule of thumb to keep in mind.

[FunkMetalBass]

I guess it would depend. If those are just speaker specs that completely ignore the cab, it's a worthless number/chart to look at.

[Munjibunga]

SPL is sound pressure level. Generally speaking, more is better, but there are a lot of other variables to consider.

[KJung]

This is a complicated topic and is discussed much. Most of the EE's will tell you that a published 'marketing spec' SPL number is pretty useless, since it is a) measured at one frequency typically... 1K and b) is usually lied about anyway by most companies!!!!

However, I've found at least a moderate correlation between published SPL and volume/voicing across cabs. With the typical one or two way (woofer/tweeter) bass cab, there is no free lunch... a high SPL spec at 1K means, almost by definition, that the low end will be tight rather than deep, and that the cab will be somewhat 'brighter sounding' (i.e., louder in the 1K upper midrange area) than cabs rated lower.

Also, the key -3db low end figure is typically fudged also. There is a major US amp manufacturer of cabs and heads that just was caught listing the -3db low end spec of a 212 cab using the actual -10db frequency, making the cab seem to be much deeper voiced than it really is given the high published SPL. So, these things are typically fudged by a manufacturer to make their cabs 'look better' on a website or whatever.

However, watts are relatively cheap, so a higher wattage head will typically bring a lower SPL cab (deeper voiced) up to similar volume levels if that cabs speakers can handle the low end power without farting out (the xmax thing people talk about a lot), and if your head has enough EQ power to brighten up the top end. It's more about the voicing you want than really having much to do with volume.

That all being said, I would never base a cab purchase on a published 'marketing SPL spec'.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

Which Is The Best SPL Number?

The one attached to the speaker you like the sound of best.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by KJung

This is a complicated topic and is discussed much. Most of the EE's will tell you that a published 'marketing spec' SPL number is pretty useless, since it is a) measured at one frequency typically... 1K and b) is usually lied about anyway by most companies!!!!

However, I've found at least a moderate correlation between published SPL and volume/voicing across cabs. With the typical one or two way (woofer/tweeter) bass cab, there is no free lunch... a high SPL spec at 1K means, almost by definition, that the low end will be tight rather than deep, and that the cab will be somewhat 'brighter sounding' (i.e., louder in the 1K upper midrange area) than cabs rated lower.

Also, the key -3db low end figure is typically fudged also. There is a major US amp manufacturer of cabs and heads that just was caught listing the -3db low end spec of a 212 cab using the actual -10db frequency, making the cab seem to be much deeper voiced than it really is given the high published SPL. So, these things are typically fudged by a manufacturer to make their cabs 'look better' on a website or whatever.

However, watts are relatively cheap, so a higher wattage head will typically bring a lower SPL cab (deeper voiced) up to similar volume levels if that cabs speakers can handle the low end power without farting out (the xmax thing people talk about a lot), and if your head has enough EQ power to brighten up the top end.

That all being said, I would never base a cab purchase on a published 'marketing SPL spec'.

Ahhhh! The light is beginning to glow a little brighter.

Thank-you, sincerely.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

The one attached to the speaker you like the sound of best.

As always, Charlie has summed up in 12 words what it took me four paragraphs to try to say

[Gizmot]

The honest truth is that it's possible to come with vastly different specs for the same identical product based on how its measured. Many bass amp manufacturers don't use the same realistic standards as professional audio companies do. Making comparisons of gear based on specs is difficult to do.
Know who you're dealing with and whether they are honest or not.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by Gizmot

The honest truth is that it's possible to come with vastly different specs for the same identical product based on how its measured. Many bass amp manufacturers don't use the same realistic standards as professional audio companies do. Making comparisons of gear based on specs is difficult to do.
Know who you're dealing with and whether they are honest or not.

That becomes more obvious to me now.

Too bad that I've got to hump an amp and bass to test a cab if I find one I like.

I guess if I hit a cab with 600Watts and the smoke stays inside the cab - then it passes my 'hot-pink noise' test.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

That becomes more obvious to me now.

Too bad that I've got to hump an amp and bass to test a cab if I find one I like.

I guess if I hit a cab with 600Watts and the smoke stays inside the cab - then it passes my 'hot-pink noise' test.

Unfortunately, other than reading a lot of TB reviews and listening to clips, etc., a cab really does require a good 'listening to' with your head and bass (since the mix and match between the head and cab is also key... some heads are voiced to get the best out of very different sounding cabs, and don't have the EQ power to muscle on cab's voicing to sound anything like anothers.

To your '600 watt' comment, that's another misunderstood statistic that I learned about on this site. A cab's power rating is, at most, just a loose suggestion of the maximum power you can pump into it before the voice coil will be damaged. It has nothing to do with SPL, or max SPL or anything, and is kind of a useless spec, since very few amps ever put out their full rated power, and bass amp power specs are most likely inflated just like speaker specs (for example, the amp and cab company I mentioned above also uses a non standard method of rating their power amps).

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by KJung

Unfortunately, other than reading a lot of TB reviews and listening to clips, etc., a cab really does require a good 'listening to' with your head and bass (since the mix and match between the head and cab is also key... some heads are voiced to get the best out of very different sounding cabs, and don't have the EQ power to muscle on cab's voicing to sound anything like anothers.

To your '600 watt' comment, that's another misunderstood statistic that I learned about on this site. A cab's power rating is, at most, just a loose suggestion of the maximum power you can pump into it before the voice coil will be damaged. It has nothing to do with SPL, or max SPL or anything, and is kind of a useless spec, since very few amps ever put out their full rated power, and bass amp power specs are most likely inflated just like speaker specs (for example, the amp and cab company I mentioned above also uses a non standard method of rating their power amps).

Well - I might as well let the cat out of the bag here.

I have two things cooking - the MH bass on the next (Bass) page and I found a Peavey Tour VB-215 cab that I'm kinda interested in.

It has a Peavey Tour 700 with a 2-bay rack - of which I know nothing at all, but the name.

She wants $700.00 for the whole rig.

She also keeps saying the word: 'Scorpion' in reference to the speakers. I've Googled that and that's where the SPL questions came about. Are they stock or did somebody let the smoke out already and these are cheap replacements?

So - I may have to go see this in Canoga Park on Saturday morning. It's a neighbor of my daughter's.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

Well - I might as well let the cat out of the bag here.

I have two things cooking - the MH bass on the next (Bass) page and I found a Peavey Tour VB-215 cab that I'm kinda interested in.

It has a Peavey Tour 700 with a 2-bay rack - of which I know nothing at all, but the name.

She wants $700.00 for the whole rig.

She also keeps saying the word: 'Scorpion' in reference to the speakers. I've Googled that and that's where the SPL questions came about. Are they stock or did somebody let the smoke out already and these are cheap replacements?

So - I may have to go see this in Canoga Park on Saturday morning. It's a neighbor of my daughter's.

Scorion is a Peavey speaker brand. I always thought they were more for guitar, and that their Black Widow speakers were the bass equivalent. However, it has been a long while since I went to school on the Peavey stuff. I can tell you they are Peavey brand speakers though.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by KJung

Scorion is a Peavey speaker brand. I always thought they were more for guitar, and that their Black Widow speakers were the bass equivalent. However, it has been a long while since I went to school on the Peavey stuff. I can tell you they are Peavey brand speakers though.

I'll call my daughter when it's daylight tomorrow and ask her to find out what's going on.

Can she see inside the grill with a flashlight to check the diameter of the coil-caps?

That might be a big piece of information. I know there's also a Peavey 5150 involved - but I'm not interested in that - so there may be some 'confusion' as to what's really happened to that dual 15-incher.

[JimmyM]

the best spl number is 110,435,673,891,405.99.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

Is a higher SPL number better than a lower one?

It's not, because there is no standard followed by all manufacturers. You can find the exact same driver in a half dozen similar cabs all claiming different sensitivities.

[NoGraveConcern]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

That might be a big piece of information. I know there's also a Peavey 5150 involved - but I'm not interested in that - so there may be some 'confusion' as to what's really happened to that dual 15-incher.

The 5150 cab came with 5150 speakers, not scorpions.

[MNAirHead]

I'd open it up if you buy ..

Scorpions aren't bad.. does sound suspect