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Posted By: Anonymous M3 at loud volumes - 03/13/02 07:26 PM
Hello everyone

do you figure the M3 sounds strained at high volumes due to a lack of crossover for the midrange/woofer driver?
Posted By: Ian Re: M3 at loud volumes - 03/14/02 02:17 PM
In fact a x-over consumes power. If the speaker design parameters can be met without, or with minimal, x-over components the effect will be less distortion at higher volumes when compared to the same components with a complex x-over using the same amplifier.
Posted By: ravi_singh Re: M3 at loud volumes - 03/15/02 08:16 PM
Ah! i understand. I didn't know that. I thought that it might be distorting at loud volumes because it was having a hard time playing the lower sounds, but I see that is not the case.

have you been looking into the apparent problem that the M3's do no sound good at loud volumes? I do not play my speakers THAT loud so I have not really heard it.
Posted By: Ian Re: M3 at loud volumes - 03/16/02 11:23 AM
Actually the M3s play very loud for the category they are in. It is important to remember that the M3 is a 6 1/2" 2-way design with good low bass extension. At some point the physical limitations of the design will reach its maximum output. This is going to vary widely depending on the source material but the large motor structure of the M3 will allow it to play quite loud without any distortion. For high volume in large rooms the options are to move up to an M22 or larger, or use a powerful sub to take over the bass frequencies and remove some of the load from the M3 woofer. It is also important to not confuse amplifier clipping with speaker distortion. Lots of bass at high volume will drain the power supply of most amplifiers quickly and change the output from music to distortion. This phenomenon is not speaker distortion but rather the speaker reproducing the distorted signal it is receiving. This is why the expense amplifiers (assuming the cost is justified) will have such large power supplies and remain sounding "warm", or better not distorted, when playing high dynamic source material.
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