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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!cmcl2!rocky2!cubsvax!peters
From: peters@cubsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: More on my AR-11 statement.
Message-ID: <186@cubsvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Mar-84 10:28:52 EST
Article-I.D.: cubsvax.186
Posted: Wed Mar 21 10:28:52 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Mar-84 07:25:45 EST
References: <1840@tektronix.UUCP> <352@dual.UUCP> <240@opus.UUCP>, <364@dual.UUCP>
Organization: Columbia Univ Biology, New York City
Lines: 16

You tell people to take the precaution of operating low-power-rated
tweeters with amps of modest power.  NOTHING COULD BE WORSE!... especially
if the efficiency of the driver is low.

What happens is that the amp goes into clipping at any attempt to achieve
moderately loud sounds.  This generates high harmonics (since a clipped
sine wave is like a square wave), overloads the high end, and blows the
tweeters.

Paradoxically, low-power-rated tweeters should always be operated with
relatively high-powered amps.  If this is done, higher volumes can be
safely achieved than with an amp whose output is comparable to the
rating of the driver.

{philabs,cmcl2!rocky2}!cubsvax!peters            Peter S. Shenkin 
Dept of Biol. Sci.;  Columbia Univ.;  New York, N. Y.  10027;  212-280-5517