"I think the real difference would be in the speakers sensitivity levels. If the VP180 is 93db and the VP150 was 90db then I guess the VP180 would be double the volume level. They said every 3bd is double the volume. However, that said they say to get dbl the volume you need twice the wattage. So, if the 180 is 4ohms and the 150 6 ohms then the wattage is not going to double. The 180 should be a tad louder."
Hi TroyD,
You are misunderstanding the decibel and its relationship to power in watts and perceived loudness level. It's very confusing to newcomers and longtime enthusiasts alike. A 3-dB difference in sensitivity would be perceived as only "slightly louder", and would require twice as much power.
To actually double the perceived loudness of a speaker requires ten times as much power, not twice as much. It's a logarithmic relationship.
If you double the power in watts going to a speaker, the loudness of the speaker to our ears increases by only 3 dB, or "slightly louder."
A 1-dB difference is the smallest step or change in loudness that humans can detect. Smaller differences in loudness may not be detectable, but in listening tests, most people hear the ever-so-slightly louder speaker as sounding "better," which is why in A/B speaker tests between two speakers, the loudness levels must be matched to a fraction of a decibel.
Incidentally, skins, when I did careful double-blind tests at Axiom of the prototype vp180 center to the vp150, I found the vp180 to be dramatically better and less coloured than the vp150. I praised the vp180 center as sounding essentially as good as what turned out to be the M80v3. So I suspect that the slight level differences in your comparisons at home are leading you to incorrect conclusions.
Regards,
Alan
