Re: Loudspeakers for ur-quattro (car audio dribble)

["Daniel Hussey" <dan_hussey@email.msn.com>]

>Actually, the speakers are not distorting at all... What you are hearing
>is the final amplifier inside the radio distorting... This happens to >most
head units when playing them at high volumes.... The speakers >are just
reproducing the distortion...  Underpowering a speaker will >not cause
distortion... (if this were true, then you would hear distortion >when you
are playing your radio at low volumes)...

Umm, that isn't true at all!  And, aren't you contradicting yourself here???
You said it was the amplifier in the head unit and then you say that
underpowering a speaker will not cause distortion.  Well, what do you think
the amp is doing???

BTW, A lot of people don't know this but most people blow speakers because
they run too little power to them, not too much.  Yes, underpowering
speakers will cause distortion at higher volumes!!!!  You were right the
first time, and all OE Audi radios (at least all the old ones) are
underpowered.  At least my 5ktq had 10 good speakers and in very good
placement, this system in the 200 is pathetic!

I was given a demonstration by a guy who sold audio equipment one time.  I
will never forget it.  We are all sitting in his living room ejoying some
fine music on his home-built Focal speakers.  Anyways, he gets up and
unplugs one of the speakers and holds up a standard joe blow (Sony $40 a
pair special or something) speaker.  He then says, "For all of you that
think you blow speakers by overpowering them, watch this".  He hooks that
little speaker directly to his very powerfull home audio amp and holds it in
his hand at us.  And, you know what... It sounded AMAZING!  He then told us
how you can make ordinary speakers sound extraordinary by running the right
amp (some amps are bright, others are mellow, etc) and giving it a lot of
juice.  Think about it.  Speakers are important, but without enough power,
what's the point.  You may end up killing them!

>Many companies that sell head units market them as 'high-power' >claiming
that their head unit will put out 35 x 4 (max rating)... but what >the
average consumer doesn't realize is that you should be looking >at the RMS
rating of the output power.. (which typically is less than 10 >watts per
channel)...

This is true, but on the same token, many amplifier manufacturers (at least
the good ones) under-rate the power of thier amps!  This is so they can
compete in a lower wattage class in IASCA (car audio competitions).  You
want to do as much with as little wattage as possible.  Most good amps say
40X4 and they are really putting out more around 65x4 for example.  On the
same note, most good head units have NO power!  This is because most good
units will be used in competion or by someone who is going to use an
external amplifier for power, so they will most likely bypass the units
power anyways.  And even if one is not using the unit's power, by IASCA
sanctioned rules, you have to include that in the amount of wattage for
class ranking.  And, considering head-units over-rate thier power, this is
not good.  Can push you into a higher class.

So next time you see some guy pawning off a Rockwood 1000 watt amp at a flea
market or something, you can laugh as you know this piece of equipment
(junk) should never be taken seriously.  I mean, who the hell really needs
1000 watts!???

>They can make the claim of a 35 watt per channel output by how they
>measure the maximum rating... Typically it is only a peak for a >fraction
of a second...

This is true.

Later,
Dan
'89 200TQ
with crappy stock radio and 3.5" dash speakers!  :(