From Bose 901’s Really. Those speakers are notoriously inefficient. And they are NOT really loud compared to larger speakers like Klipsch or JBL. Play your favorite music on the Bose in the same room as someone playing real loud on a Klipsch LaScala’s and you won’t even hear your music playing.
Yes, I remember they required something like 40 watts per channel minimum, but that is a 40 year old memory. If you spent the money for 901s, you would spend the money for an appropriate amp. I have Kenwoods from that era. Still working fine for me.
Has the technology for speakers changed much in the last 50 years? I just take what comes in the vehicles I have purchased in the last 30 years.
As far as the system in my house is concerned, I am debating whether to try to replace the rheostats in the Acoustic Research AR 2ax speakers I purchased over 50 years ago or scrap them. These speakers were considered as inefficient even back then as they required a minimum of 10 watts rms power to drive them.
Right now, I would sooner make music than play music. However, at my age, my chops may get to the point where I won’t be able to play my horn and I will be more serious about listening to music.
One change in technology is having the bass as a separate , single speaker rather than the typical tweeter, midrange, and bass speaker housed in each speaker. When I had a four channel reel to reel, with a four channel amp, and four Kenwoods 3 way speakers housing 12 inch bass speakers
it occupied a lot of space.
At 100 watts, those Polk speakers will be putting out 118 dB. I’d like to what speaker you have that can put out 118 dB with only 1 watt in. But todays speakers do not need a lot of power unless you want a LOT of dB’s.
Oh yeah, 50 years ago, speakers were mostly made from wood pulp (paper) and super-tweeters were mostly piezio-electric which basically just buzzed at high frequencies.
Carbon fiber cones, newer magnets and newer coil winding techniques have made speakers more efficient, broadbanded and sensitive.
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Sorry but no. 10 decibels translates to a 10 fold difference in power, so it would be 10 Watts, not 100. As for how many decibels a speaker puts out, there’s a tradeoff. As Star Trek’s Scotty says, you “canna change the laws of physics.” Unless you have huge speakers, or horns like various Klipsch models, you can have more volume for a given input (sensitivity, not efficiency) or you can have a more extended frequency response (more bass) but not both.
The ones in my 2008 Ascender (Trailblazer) were shot in 5 years. GM is famous for using cheap $10 Chinese speakers . Replaced them with Pioneers and never had another issue .
That’s right…typing too fast. It’s a 3db gain every time you double the wattage. But inefficient speakers still need a lot of power to produce the same sound as an efficient speaker. Lot more power. I can produce thundering sound in a 16’x24’ room with 14’ ceilings with just 12 watts of power.
Many professional audio and high-end audio woofers are still made with wood pulp because it’s very stable and controllable. The woofers may be treated though. High-efficient speakers 50 years ago mainly used Horns connected to a compression driver for upper frequencies. Still thee preferred method for many professional and high-end efficient speakers (Klipsch, JBL to name a couple). But they are expensive.
Acadia came with bose system not in love with it but it is the wifes car so what do we really need listening to audio books when we drive to the cabins as it has the tow package and is our boat moving vehicle. As stated previously, alpine and 4 bose speakers in my 03 ranger not crew cab with speakers behind the seat factory mounts and put in speakers, gawd that was better then any home stereo I ever had, Sure went through JBL, EPI, etc, but that was so superior. Every high note crisp, every low note soothing, and get a boom boom rattle the body parts guy next to me I would crank it up and put in earplugs! Wait til you hear the lady sing please.
One of the favs to play Blue Man Group - I Feel Love - YouTube
Couldn’t agree more. When it comes to sound quality, a power amplifier is the best first improvement to sound quality in any system whether home or car. And we’re not talking huge watts, size or price. Even a 50 watt, decent quality separate amp will make crappy speakers come alive.
Just like in home audio the common misconception is that speakers maketh the sound.
If you’ll allow this speaker discussion to divert a little, last night I was watching a special on TV about James Taylor. Later I got a hankering to put on a JT CD on my home stereo, listen to that “Mexico”. OMG!!! The sound quality was horrible. Buzzing, wheezing … A little hit and miss diagnosis yielded the problem: My home stereo speakers were disintegrating! Right in front of my eyes! Seriously, the paper part of the horn looked like it had been munched on my mice, & was barely holding on. Both R & L. These speakers are pretty old, but have always been inside, never exposed to any water. What’s going on?
Most likely just dry rotted over time. I’m assuming they’re detached/eaten up around the edges where the speaker flexes. Maybe you cranked ol’ JT up just a bit too much for the old speaks to handle.
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all paper dries up and falls apart. just like old newspaper laying around for years. time for new ones.
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Most likely just dry rotted over time. I’m assuming they’re torn/eaten up looking around the edges where the speaker flexes. Maybe you cranked ol’ JT up just a bit more than the old speaks could take!
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I had been mostly listening to AM radio I guess, and didn’t notice how bad the speaker problem had become. Maybe for the best. Besides the speaker’s paper disintegrating, the switches that control the cross-over weren’t working correctly either.
Apparently I replied twice, sorry bout that.
@George_San_Jose1 I had the same problem with one of my Acoustic Research AR 2ax speakers about 20 years ago. I took the speaker to an authorized AR repair station. The shop ordered the new low frequency speaker and before they completed the repair, the shop lost its lease on the building and I had to take the speaker home and complete the repair.
I saw the same thing happen in two speakers in the sound system at the church where I am a member. These speakers had come from Radio Shack. I bought two new speakers and. Installed them in the cabinets. In all the cases, the paper speaker cones had deteriorated.
With my Acoustic Research speakers, the rheostats that control the high frequency speakers don’t work and the high frequency speakers are silent. Since these speakers are over 50 years old, I probably won’t repair them. I picked up s pair of Polk Audio speakers that someone had traded in at a local music store for $60 and the sound is quite satisfactory.
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I’ve had two pairs of speakers have the woofer surrounds fall apart after 15+ years.
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My AR 3A’s need to have the woofer surrounds replaced as well as the tweeter potentiometers. I’m not going to do it as I dismantled my home stereo a few years ago and I listen to my music via Amazon music via a good.set of Bluetooth headphones and my smartphone.