Can you hear THD?

[SpankingVanillaice]

I took a look at the specs at the Cyber Acoustics web site and believe I know what is going on. These speakers probably use digital "T" amps. The amps have low distortion but it rises rapidly on clipping (which is typical of most solid state amps.)

Here's a web site that has a power/distortion graph for a typical T amp.
http://www.retrothing.com/2005/10/sonic_impact_ta.html
Note how it has very low distortion until it runs out of power, then things go to hell.

They probably wanted to make the amp look as powerful as possible so used the gross clipping power. The speakers I noted were 6 watts per channel for the satellites at the 10% distortion figure. If they would have used a 3 or 4 watt figure or so you'd probably have seen a figure under 1% but then they couldn't show the higher power rating.

At normal listening levels the distortion is likely fairly low. However, as you crank it up, there will come a point where things start sounding pretty nasty

Ya I have known that Cyber Acoustics tries to make there speakers high end like use those power pro series driver for the subwoofer instead of normal cones. Also the CA-3550 I have are gold plated plugs too which is good thing.

But it is really true that higher the volume it does sound pretty bad since to me when they are up all the way up the subwoofer sounds like noise and not real bass at all.

When I use to have the Altec Lansing VS4121 or the VS4221 they did the same thing meaning at higher volumes it gets really distorted. But when you listen to it before it gets distorted they sounded good.


The biggest reason I got the CA-3554 which is the same as CA-3550 is since they use the higher end subwoofer. They call them the Power Pro Driver.

[mlsstl]

All power amps run out of steam at some point. The only thing that matters is that you can get to the volume you want before that happens.

If you hit distortion at a higher volume, there are three choices. One is turn down the volume. Two is get a more powerful amp. Three is to get a more efficient speaker.

[GMichael]

Hi Spanky,

Yeah, as everyone has said. Companies make systems with higher THD because they are cheaper to build and can be sold cheaper. The distortion does increase with volume.
Question: How does your system sound to you at the volumes you want to listen at? If the answer is that you can hear the distortion, or that you wish you could turn it up more, then your system is not doing what you want. But if you upgrade your $150 system for another $150 (or even $200) system, there won't be a lot of improvement. Quality costs money. In my opinion, you would have to double the cost for each 10% increase in quality. You're better off by saving up for something that will blow your socks off, than to keep blowing your money on small changes that just leave you just as unsatisfied as you already are.

[Feanor]

Ya I have known that Cyber Acoustics tries to make there speakers high end like use those power pro series driver for the subwoofer instead of normal cones. Also the CA-3550 I have are gold plated plugs too which is good thing.

But it is really true that higher the volume it does sound pretty bad since to me when they are up all the way up the subwoofer sounds like noise and not real bass at all.

When I use to have the Altec Lansing VS4121 or the VS4221 they did the same thing meaning at higher volumes it gets really distorted. But when you listen to it before it gets distorted they sounded good.


The biggest reason I got the CA-3554 which is the same as CA-3550 is since they use the higher end subwoofer. They call them the Power Pro Driver.

FACT #1: Speakers that produce 10% THD at rated output certainly sound bad when played loud. (Maybe less bad at lower volumes.)

FACT #2: You tend to get what you pay for. $350 or $450 Audio Engine speakers are going to sound a LOT better than $100 Cyber Accoustics, (especially when played loud). These $1700 Genelec 8030A are likely going to sound better still.

[Mr Peabody]

And, for roughly $3k there is a pair of Martin Logan that are powered and will run off even an Ipod.

[Feanor]

And, for roughly $3k there is a pair of Martin Logan that are powered and will run off even an Ipod.

Are they desktop??

[GMichael]

Are they desktop??

Depends on how big your desk is.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I concur with GM.

[SpankingVanillaice]

It looks like the flat pannel speakers are connected to a different amp inside my sub since if it was connected to one amp both the speakers and the sub would distort but I only noticed that the sub gets distorted at high volume setting.


The speakers do not change at all pretty much no matter how high or low I set the bass level since it looks like that the speakers are connected to a different amp than what the sub is. I guess it is good that they are seperate since then it would give better overall sound.

[E-Stat]

I guess it is good that they are seperate since then it would give better overall sound.

Not only that, if they were connected to the same amp, you would have a three driver mono system.

rw

[SpankingVanillaice]

Come this think of it the Audioengine 5 speakers are soo close like the M-Audio BX5a monitors I use to have. I mean they are the same Kevlar cones and silk dome tweeters etc. I wonder if I should of kept those BX5a monitors I had that costed $300 pair. The retail price of them are $400 pair. Right now they came out with the BX5a Deluxe which is better version of the original BX5a monitors. The Deluxe has a better waveguide to make the highs more clear etc. I use the own the original BX5a monitors and they look really close the the Audioengine 5. I think you can use the Audioengine 5 as a studio monitor like the BX5a can.

[SpankingVanillaice]

LOL they even have the same protection features as the M-Audio BX5a. I think the BX5a sounds about the same as the Audioengine 5 speakers. Also the frequency response is very close the the BX5a monitors. Maybe those speakers were the best I had. But now I dont have enough money to get the BX5a again.

[SpankingVanillaice]

I do remember though that the BX5a monitors did sound really great and yes way better than the Cyber Acoustics I have. Well of cource the BX5a costed $300 a pair and the ones I have now only cost $50.

[SpankingVanillaice]

Here is a link to the speakers I had once but I sold them which I should of kept them looks like.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...phileBX5a.html


Oh my I noticed that my old speakers only had only 0.5% THD.


NOW compair my old ones to the new ones that is 10% THD I think my new ones suck compaired to the BX5a I had once.

[Luvin Da Blues]

I think my new ones suck compaired to the BX5a I had once.

Yup. Why did you sell them then??????????????

[SpankingVanillaice]

SO I guess it is what you pay is what you get kind of thing. But oh well I sold those BX5a monitors long agao. I guess I have to deal with the new ones that are $50 I have now and hopefully I can afford the new M-Audio BX5a Deluxe since that's what they have right now as there current model.

[SpankingVanillaice]

Well I didn't realize how great they were I thought they didn't sound that great but I was stupid plus they was actualy a gift from my moms best friend. He sure did get pissed about me selling them and said he won't buy anything expensive anymore to me.


Ya he got me those on my birthday and it was a great gift.


I mean think about it how can I afford something that costs $300???? I would take a very long time for me to get that much. But I guess I have to save up and maybe hopefully I can buy them again soon as possible.

[E-Stat]

Oh my I noticed that my old speakers only had only 0.5% THD.

Note that the distortion spec is not for the speakers - it is for the built in amplifiers. Speaker distortion is another case altogether. 5" drivers don't fare well in that regard when it comes to bass given the limited surface area.

rw

[SpankingVanillaice]

But I guess for just $50 speakers I have now they do sound great but I can't compair them to my old ones I had before of cource since they costed $300 a pair.

[GMichael]

Well I didn't realize how great they were I thought they didn't sound that great but I was stupid plus they was actualy a gift from my moms best friend. He sure did get pissed about me selling them and said he won't buy anything expensive anymore to me.


Ya he got me those on my birthday and it was a great gift.


I mean think about it how can I afford something that costs $300???? I would take a very long time for me to get that much. But I guess I have to save up and maybe hopefully I can buy them again soon as possible.

Web designers make a lot of money. Maybe you could take one job as a consultant. What have you got to loose?

[Auricauricle]

Aspirin! Aspirin! Aspirin!

[GMichael]

That stuff will rot your tummy.

[Auricauricle]

It's NOT my TUMMY that hurts now!!

[audio amateur]

beavis & butthead..hmmm.. I'll have to look that up

[Auricauricle]

Huh, huh....huh...