(2) 100 watts or (1) 200 watt speaker
- Thread starter gman021
- Start date
WS224
Member
A true 200 watt speaker coming from a single cone - Best, (2) seperate 100 Watt speakers - Better, but can create "echo spots" that create dead zones, single 100 watt speaker - good.
.... and this is the only 200 watt speaker I could find. https://www.speedtechlights.com/product_detail.php?catid=7&id=118 should i get this? And why arent there more 200 watt speakers if their the loudest option (I realize a 200 watt amplifier is less common but still common)
If you are dead set on getting a single 200W speaker, go with this one from FedSig.
http://www.fedsig.com/products/index.php?id=120
Do NOT get the one from SpeedTech. Their products from what I understand are not well built and they have a high fail rate. I think you will come to find that other members will tell you the same thing. It is always better to get a brand name product over a knock off. The big brands will also be there in a few years for warranty purposes and they are usually much better built, thus last longer and perform better.
I would still personally go with a pair of 100W speakers. They are cheaper and easier to replace should something fail. Also, if you have a single speaker and something goes wrong you are out of code capabilities, where if one speaker in a dual speaker setup fails, you still have one speaker functioning for responding purposes.
You may also consider, depending on what your purpose for the speaker is, that 100W is plenty for most POV and many official vehicles. So ask yourself do you really NEED (not want) 200W of sound or will 100W get the job done fine and save me $120+ to keep in my pocket or to put toward something else.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
http://www.fedsig.com/products/index.php?id=120
Do NOT get the one from SpeedTech. Their products from what I understand are not well built and they have a high fail rate. I think you will come to find that other members will tell you the same thing. It is always better to get a brand name product over a knock off. The big brands will also be there in a few years for warranty purposes and they are usually much better built, thus last longer and perform better.
I would still personally go with a pair of 100W speakers. They are cheaper and easier to replace should something fail. Also, if you have a single speaker and something goes wrong you are out of code capabilities, where if one speaker in a dual speaker setup fails, you still have one speaker functioning for responding purposes.
You may also consider, depending on what your purpose for the speaker is, that 100W is plenty for most POV and many official vehicles. So ask yourself do you really NEED (not want) 200W of sound or will 100W get the job done fine and save me $120+ to keep in my pocket or to put toward something else.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
WS224
Member
Agreed with everything mentioned. My point was that if you wanted the loudest 200 watt possible, it would be best accoustically to go with a single 200 watt speaker. I think Federal also manufactures or used to, a wye type of adapter that allowed (2) standard 100 watt speakers to be projected from a single cone. That gives you the benefit and flexability to use (2) 100 watt speakers but project them from a single point.
Last edited by a moderator:
Newberry13
Member
Rofocowboy84
Member
gman021 said:
If you learn anything from this site, learn this: AVOID STL!!
Also, most sirens these days are 200w.....I'm actually surprised there aren't more 200w speakers out there....
2 good 100watt speakers should do it. I like the SA315p from Whelen or the AS124 if you have room to mount it. Some of the really slim speakers are not as loud I have found. As well the placment is very important . Try to install them right behind the grill . I have seen installs where its louder inside the car then out. Just my 2 cents.
JohnMarcson
Administrator
Im going to use a radio shack powerhorn for the meantime, and then soon get a real 200 watt or 100 watt. I think the powercall 200 watt is the best deal I've seen, I just hope its reliable. And does anyone think its a lot better to put the speaker on a push-bar out front? I want to know if putting it behind the grill lowers the sound at all.
Henry455
Member
WS224 said:Agreed with everything mentioned. My point was that if you wanted the loudest 200 watt possible, it would be best accoustically to go with a single 200 watt speaker. I think Federal also manufactures or used to, a wye type of adapter that allowed (2) standard 100 watt speakers to be projected from a single cone. That gives you the benefit and flexability to use (2) 100 watt speakers but project them from a single point.
Ws224 I must respectivly disagree with you on the above statement. Trying to use 2 drivers in one speaker housing usually leads to some sound dampening. In my opinion, 2 seperate speakers spread apart as for as possible would give you higher db output. This is one reason you do not see more 200 watt speakers. This is what Powercall says about its 200 watt speaker:
"Powercallsirens HIGHLY RECOMMENDS using 2 speakers whenever possible for 200 watt sirens. This siren speaker is ONLY USED for apparatus with limited clearance. Please remember when using this speaker that it will NOT seem as loud as a normal 200 watt siren due to the amount of sound trying to be put through the single baffle. This speaker should only be used as a LAST RESORT for clearance issues."
Henry455
Member
gman021 said:
Gman021, I would not recommend using the Radio Shack "100 watt" powerhorn. If you look at the spec. sheet it is actually a 50 WATT RMS speaker.
RS 100 watt Powerhorn speaker
NPS Ranger
Member
WS224
Member
So does using (2) sperate 100 watt speakersHenry455 said:
Of coarse they do. I would rather sell (2) speakers at a higher price as well.
Rofocowboy84
Member
JohnMarcson said:
Wouldn't a 200W speaker using dual drivers work? Each driver would be producing a different tone, they'd just both come out of the same cone. I guess I can see how you wouldn't want them to mix like that though...
Jared @ 911Lights said:
I thought the same thing. The sound waves in such a tight space are potentially working against each other is the waves aren't coming together to add positively, which would generate a greater output if I'm not mistaken. With the way things have gone this week I could be quite wrong. So, if the waves are having disruptive interference with one another, the sound output would actually decrease, rather than increase eventhough you have two 100W drivers.
NPS Ranger
Member
I think you're exactly right. I don't remember all the physics of it but I think the destructive interference from 2 speakers in phase is less, the farther apart the speakers are. That is to say, the areas where the sound waves cancel out, are smaller when the distance between speakers is greater.
"A relatively common demonstration of sound wave interference can be performed with two speakers hooked up to the same sound source producing a monotone sound. A sound interference pattern can be observed: if one were to walk along a line parallel to the line connecting the speakers, there would be clear locations of destructive and constructive interference. At locations of destructive interference, the sound intensity would become weak, perhaps even barely noticeable. At locations of constructive interference, the sound intensity would be amplified."
"A relatively common demonstration of sound wave interference can be performed with two speakers hooked up to the same sound source producing a monotone sound. A sound interference pattern can be observed: if one were to walk along a line parallel to the line connecting the speakers, there would be clear locations of destructive and constructive interference. At locations of destructive interference, the sound intensity would become weak, perhaps even barely noticeable. At locations of constructive interference, the sound intensity would be amplified."