Suicide Bobb
5,000+ posts
SPLC Fails
Yes, worded differently: The quantity of output for a given amount of power (in car audio terms). For reference, most speakers are rated at around 90db/1watt/1meter, meaning that if the speaker is given 1 watt of power and its output is measured from 1 meters distance, it will record 90db.
The efficiency of subwoofer typically involves one or two forms of deception (but not always). Those methods are: measuring the output at 2.83 watts (usually this is stated when speakers are measured, but good luck finding a subwoofer manufacturer who tells the input power), and the frequency that the subwoofer is played at when recording the output. Most companies record efficiency with a 1khz note, which is WAY higher than any subwoofer plays around with in daily use. The reason they do that is because the output is usually greater at 1khz than, say, 80hz. For these two reasons, you can take a subwoofer's efficiency rating with a grain of salt unless they state the input power AND frequency of the note that the sub was played on.
Regardless, this all has nothing to do with what you are talking about. The measured efficiency of a sub does not determine whether the sub is more or less effective at a given power level. It only relates to how SENSITIVE it is to power. What you were suggesting before is that the DC sub somehow performs better near its rated power handling rather than anything less than that amount of power (aside from its output). Sensitivity is constant between all power levels, so it will not change as the power increases.
There is a small exception to your idea though. That would be breaking in a subwoofer. Were a suspension very stiff before it has ever seen power, and many excurts (Dr. Subwoofer language) will loosen up the suspension, there is a good chance that the efficiency of the subwoofer would change because there would be less force preventing the sub from traveling. In that case, after "breaking in" the suspension, it would then perform no differently off 5 watts as opposed to 500 watts, aside from the output.
