Cab Sensitivity Specs - What Does it All Mean?

[billfitzmaurice]

But when we speak of an amplifier's damping factor, is it correct this has to do with how fast the amplitude of the signal can rise? (That's what I actually meant with "fast", the "punch" we always speak of)
And doesn't the speaker (magnet, coil, cone,...) itself has some influence on this? Or is it all the cab? (Why then would some speakers be more expensive than others?) Or is this also a nonrelevant question? Thnx!

Damping factor is way over-rated in terms of what it actually does. SS amp guys tout it because they naturally have it, tube guys ignore it because they don't. High bl drivers tend to have stronger midrange response, which is perceived as a tighter sound. More expensive drivers tend to use higher quality materials and tighter manufacturing tolerances, but that doesn't always make them sound better. The cabinet is far more important to the quality and quantity of the sound produced than the driver. A relatively cheap driver can sound very good in a quality cabinet, while the most expensive driver made can sound like crap in a poorly designed and/or constructed box.

 

[broerevb]

Ok, thnx Bill!

Grtz,
Tom