2. speakers
  3. 1089510637

Speakers for loud listening. really loud...

Hi, I own a nice little McIntosh/Totem system and I absolutely love the sound for most music, especially piano and cello stuff.

As much as I love classical music, I also listen to some heavy rock/metal music. My McIntosh MC7300 amp can output plenty of power, but according to Totem's website, my Totem Hawk loudspeakers can only handle about 120W of power. These speakers are beautiful both aesthetically and sonically, but they have pretty low sensitivity (86dB).

Whenever I want to listen to heavy music such as Tool, Incubus, Metalica, etc, I keep on reminding myself to watch the power amp's watt meter to make sure it doesn't go over 150W, although I sometimes let it go over 200W for a short time. Even at that level, the sound isn't satisfyingly loud enough for me.

I love the Totem sound, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a good rock/metal speakers. The price range should be below $2500 used and I'd like them to have a good power handling. Oh and the speakers don't necessarily need to be produced by Totem. One last thing, my listening room's pretty small, if not tiny (10 x 13ish).

Thanks,
spacekadet
exertfluffer
270 posts
 
Yeah you're going to have to go with much more sensitive speakers, active speakers, or do serious bass management crossed over to powered subwoofer(s)! The last is a good quick try for your. Add a subwoofer, an AV pre/pro, do bass managment, and the dynamic range of your sysetm will go up temendously! It will take the strain off your speakers, and make the active powered sub do all the hard dyanmic work down low, were it counts the most!
I suggest this last as your first step when you are "ROCKIN".
sean
6,231 posts
 
Fatparrot: How loud is it when you're driving an amp rated at a couple hundred watts per channel into clipping with 104 dB speakers in your living room?

How loud is it when you're driving a 1200+ wpc amp into thermal shutdown in your living room?

I've measured average output levels that were easily hovering at 110 db's at 10'. "Heavy jam sessions" creep up around 114 - 115 dB's average at 10'. I haven't done the math, but Bob Crump just sent me an email as we were discussing this very subject privately. According to what he said in that email, he calculated peaks at somewhere around 126 dB's ( give or take ). Obviously, this would vary with the specific recordings being used and how much thermal & dynamic compression is taking place, but you get the idea : ) Sean
>

PS... When i spoke to Richard Vandersteen about spl capacities of his Model 5, he told me that they would easily do 110 - 115 dB's peak. When i clarified that i wanted to achieve those peak figures as an average listening level at the seated listening position, you should have heard what he had to say to me. When i asked him about how much drive could be fed into the built-in subwoofer amp on the fives without blowing it up, he went off on a similar tangent : )

jrd351
332 posts
 
this is a job for jbl....party on
fatparrot
1,314 posts
 
Sean, are you using a Rat Shack meter, which only goes down to 50 hz. (I believe), or a more sophisticated meter? I assume that at those levels, you must have done some MONDO room treatments, and extensive equipment isolation! So what are you using for speakers to achieve your SPL?
radiob
30 posts
 
Nothing is more live and in you face as klipschorns.
More to discover