George's Pro Sound Company wrote:
the easiest way to overdrive a speaker is to use a[n] amp
larger than the speaker[']s rateing [sic]
Actually, the easiest way to overdrive a speaker is to play it at a
level
where it produces audible distortion. But as most listeners have no idea
what distortion sounds like...
OTOH distortion does not destroy speakers, speakers are as happy to play
distortion as clean signal
only when you exceed the heat dissipating ability of the motor do you
burn
out a speaker
clipping does not damage speakers and distortion does not damage
speakers,
its overheating and over excursion that damages speakers
distortion is one method of achieving overheating, but you can overheat
with
a spotlessly clean signal as well
Really?, I'll make sure I don't do business with you.
Btw, distortion due to amplifier saturation, even though the amp is
far belong the rating of the speaker can and does over heat the speaker
coil and thus, can terminate the life of a speaker even rated higher
than said amp.
Ahnothetr person with minimal knowledge.
George doesn't always word things the best way, but he knows a lot.
Speakers are rated for average power, over time.
Look at the area under a square wave- it is a lot larger than the area under
a sine wave. What that means is more power for a longer time. What is
happening is the AMOUNT of power is being increased to a speaker for a
longer TIME.
Plain and simple- that is more power. It is the amout of power over time
that kills the speaker...it can only shed heat so fast, put power in faster
than that it will burn up.
Simple..just use a bigger amp...and drive it to peak, you can blow the
speaker quickly.
Use a smaller amp, and drive it to its full power for longer, and the
speaker will blow, assuming the amp is big enough to put out that much
average power.
Either way- it is power that is the culprit. The amount of energy being put
into the speaker...put it in faster than the speaker can sink it, you will
have thermal failure.
It is not DC as people who skimmed one book and didn't understand it want to
insist.
Make the amp small enough, the speaker can handle any waveform. Make the amp
big enough and the speaker will fail instantly with any input at all...then
there are a million scenarios in between.
I disagreee with George, I use big amps and don't blow speaker, conversely
people are blowing their 100 watt speakers with "50 watt" amplifiers.
Take a look at an EV speaker rating...xxx watss with pink noise for xxx
hours.
Change the signal, the speaker's rating changes. Incraes the time, the
speaker's rating changes.
Square waves or severe clipping is more power for a longer time. That is all
it is.
Not DC, not any big mystery, it's a measurable phenomenon.
I do agree with George that sizing amps and sopeakers reduces chance for
failure. But many touring companies use big amps for horns also, larger amps
tend to hold their resale better, from a business standpoint make more sense
to me.
Here's a semi pro example-
Loot at the price difference between a Behringer 2500 and a 1500. Not
much...but come resale time you will do a lot better with the 2500..
Business is business, I buy bigger amps. your mileage may vary.
