High power rating=better speakers?


Just curious what people's thoughts on the relevance of speaker power ratings. Does more = better? What does being able to handle more power mean? Does it mean the speaker can go louder? I am considering a speaker change. My current speakers are rated at 500W max with 91d sensitivity. The ones I am considering buying are rated at 130W with 89 db sensitivity. They are both large floor standing speakers. Should power handling have a part in my purchasing decision when evaluating speakers? I have never really concerned myself with this spec in the past but the difference between the two speakers I am looking is very large and surprising.

Thank you,
tboooe

Showing 1 response by beemerrider

My recollection is that by definition 1 dB is the threshold of the difference that the human ear can detect, and that 3 dB is double the SPL of 1 dB.

My feeling is that, while it is always preferable for a speaker to have a higher power rating, it does not necessarily equate to the quality of the sound produced. Now, a speaker with more dynamic range will have that quality as one advantage but it could conceiveably lose out on many others. As a personal example I never cared for the sound of Klipsch speakers as much as I did the Quad ESL 57s I owned. But your mileage may vary, especially if dynamic range is at the top of your list.