Are Two Speakers Better than One?

medicop88

Member
Apr 11, 2011
221
Rhome, Texas
I apologize if this has been discussed before but I could not find a thread where it had been, or anywhere else for that matter...

Is there any research showing that two 100w siren speakers, lets say SA314s or similar, is substantially louder than one 100w speaker? Feniex released a video a while back saying that we only gain about 6 dB by adding a second speaker. Personally, I prefer running two for aesthetics and balance, but I'm curious if this really makes a difference.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
 

Mattdecker

Member
Mar 16, 2013
1,172
Barren County, Kentucky
That would be correct that 2 speakers only adds a few db of output.

I have a 200 watt Carson SC-411 and I run a FS AS124 and a Whelen SA315.

I haven't been able to really tell any difference but I've only ran it a couple times since I hooked the 2nd speaker up.
 

MtnMan

Member
Dec 20, 2012
1,533
Eastern PA
Another way to think about it is that a 6 dB increase produces double the acoustic range (assuming an unobstructed path). E.g., a 200 W siren 200 ft away produces the same sound level as a 100 W siren at 100 ft. Of course, driver attention and reaction and are still the limiting factors in actual traffic conditions, but every bit helps.
 
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Jarred J.

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
11,580
Shelbyville, TN
So a company gave you scientific evidence and it wasn't good enough for you? There is a 100 v 200 watt thread on here somewhere... And since our search is malfunctioning I typed in elightbars 100 vs 200 watt in google and came up with many many results.. :)
 
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medicop88

Member
Apr 11, 2011
221
Rhome, Texas
So a company gave you scientific evidence and it wasn't good enough for you? There is a 100 v 200 watt thread on here somewhere... And since our search is malfunctioning I typed in elightbars 100 vs 200 watt in google and came up with many many results.. :)

And you wonder why people are leaving this site in droves. A company giving "scientific" information good enough? No. I don't trust a company's advertisements or what an ad company puts out there. I'd rather ask the people I know have tried before. I think I'll stick to my Facebook groups.
 
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Nolines

Member
Apr 5, 2018
1,678
Margate, FL
Not to sound silly but he did ask for "Research" and myself having been here a while and seeing what the posts have been and the Brains behind those answers, I can say I would respect the people behind them and their experience as to what I call actual life experience and knowledge better then most of the info I get from the companies, and You Know Who You Are!!! There's too many here for me to post.
As to the 2 speakers, I would go with different tones for the need to be heard, I believe there has to be a direction the speakers are pointed issue to be well heard and design of the speaker or cone that enhances the level and clarity or depth of the tone which is best to be heard with. Knowing that they moved speakers off the bars and roofs because of hearing issues( which I guess makes it understandable why firefighters wear headphones due to the Q siren sound and being so close to the speakers ), but if your not directly in front of the speaker (s) you barely hear any siren on a responding vehicle.
 

Trebor Cadeau

Member
Jul 22, 2016
21
Colorado
The 3 dB difference can be heard a little further away.
Better to have one louder tone through two speakers than two less loud tones each through its own speaker.

We had a 100-watt speaker burn out during a response.
Good thathere was a 2nd speaker and thankful the 2nd speaker did not burn out from the supposed 200-watts now going ito it. (To minimize noise pollution I sound the siren as little as possible, anyway.)

Also, lower frequencies penetrate vehicles better and travel further through air.
(Wish that my Federal Signal 2t22A tornado siren had 5 and 6 port stators instead of its 10 and 12 port stators. The D4 and F4 musical pitches, creating a perfect minor third musical interval, would be heard further away than the current D5 and F5 tones.)
 

Trebor Cadeau

Member
Jul 22, 2016
21
Colorado
What make and model siren was this?
Unitrol 800 which I wired in parallel to two Federal Signal TS100s. Big drivers, then.
The Unitrol was not cutting off at 400 Hz (or whatever the cut-off frequency) and that apparently caused a coil to burn out. I corrected the cut-off and while there added some capacitance to slow the Yelp a little.
Unitrol is the best sounding siren ever! But I did not like that it would "coast down" when switched from Wail to Manual. To instantly cease the sound I would key the microphone. Doing that avoided blasting two babies in a stroller as we turned a corner!
 

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