Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Swap M60 for M80?

Twice as loud is 3 dB.

You might want to check that number Rat.

No no. Twice the power (wattage) results in a 3dB increase. You need to increase by 10 dB to sound twice as loud.

It doesn't seem fair that doubling the power gets you only 3/10 of the way to twice as loud, but it's the truth.

Definitely give the SPL numbers a look. I threw in "Eye of The Tiger" from the Rocky collection today at 95-97 dBs and it was plenty loud for me. The M60s will get very loud most effortlessly.

Speaking from experience, I had the Yam rx-v1500 which was no sloch @110 w.p.c. with the 60s. I still have my 60s (not 80s) I also like to crank it up, the biggest difference is that it is not that much "louder" but with seperates (i have the Sunfire grand signature @ 600 w.p.c @ 8 ohms - 1200 w.p.c. @ 4 ohms)it is just so much better sounding. I feel it actully brought out the full potential of the speakers. It never sounded "bad" at high levels, it just sounds much better now. When I listen to loud levels, the speakers are much more detailed, and coherent, tight, smooth, there is not the audible quality drop off at extreme high volumes.

Jon....what SPLs are you taking here when you feel the headroom comes into play? Above 90? 95? Just curious when the difference starts to become apparent.

approx. 90db and up is most noticable. There is a better over all sound at all volumes, but a very big difference @ 90db+ there is a much more open-spacious sound at loud volumes.

I'm in agreement with you. Screw the math and listen. Who cares about "how loud" they'll play. Speakers just sound better with a few more amprees nipping them in the but. Even at low volume.

I don't understand the "screw the math" notion. If you were to screw the math, physics, and science, you wouldn't have an amp, source, or speaker in the first place..

At low volumes, with a well designed amp(HK does have slightly higher distortion itno 4 ohms than a usual amp, around 0.2% - and the wattage barely increases, which could indicate slight problems with a 4 ohm load, which could be why it doesn't sound as perfect as your rotels with a 4 ohm load), 50 watts and 500 watts won't matter because you're using such a small fraction of the 50 watt amp's full output power..

Thasp, I am not so sure about "screw the math" I never quite said that. But I know sound. My wife was so opposed to me buying amps/processors of this dollar amount. She likes good music/good eqipment, and appreciates more than most, but she thinks I am obsessed LOL, once I got it all in, and we argued a bit, I made dinner and kissed her a$$ for a few days. She said, "I cannot believe the sound", "I hate to admit it, cause I feel you will some how upgrade more-something else" The overall sound is so much better. I felt the same way, but could not help but wonder if I was justifying things. I don't know, but I know what I hear, wattage IS math, but ears don't lie.