Class-T and SACD review

[Chris Robinson]

I can't listen up at those levels either for more than a minute or two. I remember when I had my first pair of Cornwalls being driven off the HUGH-MONGUS McIntosh MC2105. Whoa! It could drive those beasts to insane output levels and the old blue meters would barely budge.

The good news is that there are all kinds of amps for all kinds of ears. Wouldn't the world be a dull place if we all had the same taste in audio, cars and women?

[sfogg]

Erik,

" I happened to have my SPL meter on hand when listening last weekend"

The SPL meter won't really tell you what your peaks are all that well. They aren't really fast enough to capture the peaks in the music. They will show you average SPL pretty easily though.

If you want to know the max possible peak level in your system though it is actually really easy to determine.

Subtract the volume controls setting on the Lex. from 105 and that is what the maximum peak level each of your speakers could hit if the music goes up to 0dBFs.

IOW, if you are listening at -10 then 105 - 10 = 95... that is the peak level your system could hit per speaker at the listening position at that volume setting with a digital source if it uses the maximum signal level available.

That is one of the cool things about when you calibrated the Lexicon's volume control (or any other THX certified pre-pro). The numeric readout on it actually telling you useful information.

Shawn

[minn_male42]

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On 3/31/2005 7:34:36 PM Erik Mandaville wrote:

Craig:

I happened to have my SPL meter on hand when listening last weekend, and I just don't know how some can push 100dBs in their listening rooms. I don't doubt that guys/gals listen at those levels, but I must be some sort of SPL wimp! Even 95 seemed really loud to me.

It's no wonder I've been happy with SET-odes this long. But, I just can't fathom blasting a Bach Brandenberg at 110dBs...(obviously a poor example of what kind of music should be played at that level!).

Erik

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even though i love the power and control of my amplifier... i usually listen at moderate levels... (85 to 90 db spl)

the benefit of more power is not the "average" level, but rather the peak handling abilities of the amp

and btw - if you have an analog SPL meter - you are NOT getting true peak readings... even the radio shack digital meter has a hard time reacting fast enough for many fast transients... (i had the opportunity to use a goldline SPL120 meter - over $300 retail - and compare it to a rat shack digital model....)

http://www.gold-line.com/spl120.htm

using a gold line DSP30 analyzer also confirmed the measurements that i had gotten with the SPL120 meter

http://www.gold-line.com/dsp30.htm