Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site moncol.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!moncol!ben
From: ben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: RE: JSE reliability(actually driver failure)
Message-ID: <280@moncol.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-May-85 12:12:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: moncol.280
Posted: Fri May  3 12:12:43 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 6-May-85 01:54:52 EDT
References: <353@lcuxc.UUCP>, <148@omen.UUCP>
Organization: Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Lines: 17

>Modest power is no safety measure; all my speakers were blown with amps
>of 50 watts or less RMS power.

This is a very popular misconception.  You are much more likely to
damage speakers with an amp in the 25-70 watt range than you would be
with a high power model (100-300 watts).  The reason for this is that
low power amps are more likely to clip when pushed, sending damaging
currents to the tweeters.  The sound of a clipping amp is much less
noticable to untrained ears than the sound of a speaker overdriven to
an extent where it is likely to be damaged.  Hence, the reasonable
person will turn down the volume of a high powered amp before damage
can occur, but the person clipping his amp might not even notice 'til
a tweeter goes poof.

                           Ben Broder
                           ..vax135!petsd!moncol!ben
                           ..ihnp4!princeton!moncol!ben