Question about sensitivity ratings

[Toneb210]

Currently running 2 jl12w3v3's. They sound good, very clean, hit the lows easily. But not very loud. At least not compared to older setups I've had with cheaper equipment. Pushing 400-500 watts rms to each sub. Tuned around 30hz. I've been looking at ssa dcons. They have a sensitivity of 89. The w3's are 87. So total of +4db if I switched to dcon's. Is this correct thinking here? +3 dB is twice as loud right? Also any feedback on the dcon's would be helpful also.

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[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Sensitivity on subwoofers isn't a reliable spec. I believe JL Audio even mentions this in their manuals. You need to tune higher. You'd gain a lot by tuning in the mid 30s. Build a new enclosure, and you can consult with JL if you want to double check for your application.

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

Sensitivity on subwoofers isn't a reliable spec.

...Curious why they say this? I have some old 4 ohm single coil subs that run in the mid-high 90's. They get loud on little power, but "peak out" well below modern subs in volume. Just can't handle more than 500RMS or so per sub. I get more clarity out of the sensitive subs, but less overall volume and authority.

 

[Massive spl]

...Curious why they say this? I have some old 4 ohm single coil subs that run in the mid-high 90's. They get loud on little power, but "peak out" well below modern subs in volume. Just can't handle more than 500RMS or so per sub. I get more clarity out of the sensitive subs, but less overall volume and authority.

Because car audio doesn't work that easy, u can't just buy woofers that are rated 2db louder "if the specs are correct in first place" and put them in the same box u already have and expect 4db gain... Not gunna happen unless it's a freak of nature and u get lucky.

 

[Toneb210]

Ok. So maybe 35ish hz tuning??. I'm driving a 14 kia forte sedan with subs facing forward sealed off best I can. This configuration is what sounded best. I did face backwards with box pulled to back of the trunk. It wasn't any louder. And sounded better facing forward over all. View attachment 26553868

 

[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

...Curious why they say this? I have some old 4 ohm single coil subs that run in the mid-high 90's. They get loud on little power, but "peak out" well below modern subs in volume. Just can't handle more than 500RMS or so per sub. I get more clarity out of the sensitive subs, but less overall volume and authority.

I pulled up a current W6 manual. They show an SPL rating that typically would be published as sensitivity, yet they call it efficiency.

Efficiency (1W/1m) is not an accurate indicator of a subwoofer’s output capability and should not be used as a comparison to other subwoofers to determine which one is “louder” !

Sensitivity is typically measured at 1 kHz. I don't think it's a totally useless specification on subwoofers, but the math for roughly estimating if one speaker should be louder than another will not work with subwoofers. I assume that a subwoofer with a lower sensitivity rating has higher power handling with a stiffer suspension, but I'm typically going to spend a few minutes to model it in WinISD against at least one other subwoofer before committing to it.

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

I pulled up a current W6 manual. They show an SPL rating that typically would be published as sensitivity, yet they call it efficiency.
Sensitivity is typically measured at 1 kHz. I don't think it's a totally useless specification on subwoofers, but the math for roughly estimating if one speaker should be louder than another will not work with subwoofers. I assume that a subwoofer with a lower sensitivity rating has higher power handling with a stiffer suspension.

Fair enough. Just for debate... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Let's say this is how the 1W/1M thing works.....because this is how I understood it.

You place a DC voltage of around 2.83V or 1W (depending on who is giving the spec) for a split second, and measure the Db output of the speaker at 1 meter away from the speaker.

For instance, a speaker with a low sensitivity might make a small thud/thump when you put a 2V DC current across the terminals for a split second.....like how we test speakers with a 9V battery. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Now you take the same 2V and put it across a speaker of 90db or higher "sensitivity"/efficiency and you will get a lot louder "POP" out of it....

How I read the difference is how you mentioned above: stiffer suspension, higher power handling (heavier coil), heavier soft parts = lower sensitivity.

The guys with the super light aluminum coils, aluminum or CF cones, and mild suspension usually has a higher sensitivity and responds quicker. Seems like the music can get "colored" on al cone setups. Especially when you get into mids and tweetes, materials make a huge difference in sound color.