Frequency response query

[realysm42]

Hi, when looking at the manual for my speakers, this is what it says they're rated at; how can they know what the in room response is is everyone's room is different?

Frequency response 39 Hz – 20 kHz (in room response)
55 Hz – 20kHz (-6dB)

Also, what's the second reading for please?

I set my sub's low pass filter for 39hz and it sounded anemic, then I put it to 45hz and it sounds about right to me.

[sq225917]

2nd reading will likely be anechoic at 1m.

Half way between the two sounds about right for a sub

[Reid Malenfant]

If the advertisement is a UK one, then it's not going to be too difficult to guess the size of an average front room where the speakers will be situated :)

When I say average, I mean average - not some mansion :eyebrows:

So it's not too difficult to factor in the approximate amount of room gain for an average UK room, hense the in room response :cool:

[realysm42]

Cheers chaps; Mark yes it's Roksan so UK.

So room gain increases frequency response? Because by that logic what Simon's said is about right too then (Anechoic room lessens frequency response)?

[Reid Malenfant]

Cheers chaps; Mark yes it's Roksan so UK.

So room gain increases frequency response? Because by that logic what Simon's said is about right too then (Anechoic room lessens frequency response)?
Yes, an anechoic chamber is designed to give no reflections. It's somewhat like sticking your speaker on a 60ft tall pole with a microphone 1M away :lol:

Trust me, some manufacturers/designers measure that way. It can be just as effective :D


Room gain adds to the deepest bass & will extend the frequency response a bit lower. Use your head & design properly & it can be a lot lower ;)

[Ali Tait]

Both are valid, however the anechoic response is given as an indication of what the speaker itself is capable of, irrespective of it's surroundings. Gives you an idea of what the speaker is capable of I guess. Of more use is the in room response, as this gives a better idea of what the speaker will do in the real world ie your front room.

As Mark says, the room the speaker is used in can affect the response, in some instances quite markedly, particularly at the frequency extremes.

These measurements will give you an idea of how the speaker will perform, but there is no substitute for trying it yourself in the place it would be listened to in.

[DSJR]

+1 :)

[walpurgis]

A quoted frequency range or bass response/extension is largely meaningless.

In a small room a pair of small sealed box speakers can sound remarkably extended in the bass, whereas a bigger ported speaker can sound lightweight, although in a big room the opposite will normally apply.

Ridiculous as it sounds, I had a pair of Tannoy Devons with 12" drivers alongside a pair of original Goodmans Minimax speakers with 4" bass units in my small listening room and the tiny Minimaxes sounded as though they went deeper into the bass.

Anechoic measurements are not the whole story. The room volume and dimensions are a big factor regardless of anechoic treatment.

[realysm42]

Thanks for all the answers; makes a lot more sense now and ties into what I'm hearing (incidentally, what Simon said, somewhere between the two quoted frequencies sounds best for my sub to kick in).

Happy days!

[Reffc]

A quoted frequency range or bass response/extension is largely meaningless.

In a small room a pair of small sealed box speakers can sound remarkably extended in the bass, whereas a bigger ported speaker can sound lightweight, although in a big room the opposite will normally apply.

Ridiculous as it sounds, I had a pair of Tannoy Devons with 12" drivers alongside a pair of original Goodmans Minimax speakers with 4" bass units in my small listening room and the tiny Minimaxes sounded as though they went deeper into the bass.

Anechoic measurements are not the whole story. The room volume and dimensions are a big factor regardless of anechoic treatment.

I wouldn't say meaningless at all, although get the speaker/room match wrong and the quoted figures may not be reflected in the listening!

Fact is, for delivering true bass, irrespective of the size of the room, maintaining a powerful bass response still means moving (and pressurising air) so a small box, whilst some with long throw drivers can go impressively low, will never be a match for designs which move more air. To some extent, that's wandering off topic a bit. But yes, room size and shape has a huge bearing on how loudspeakers will sound. The factory figures give a reliable indication of the sort of load that the speakers are likely to present and the sort of response you should expect. How the speaker couples to the room and it's power handling will also partly determine dynamic response. The larger the room the more power needed to drive to similar SPLs as in a much smaller room (less room reinforcement).

[walpurgis]

I wouldn't say meaningless at all, although get the speaker/room match wrong and the quoted figures may not be reflected in the listening!

Fact is, for delivering true bass, irrespective of the size of the room, maintaining a powerful bass response still means moving (and pressurising air) so a small box, whilst some with long throw drivers can go impressively low, will never be a match for designs which move more air. To some extent, that's wandering off topic a bit. But yes, room size and shape has a huge bearing on how loudspeakers will sound. The factory figures give a reliable indication of the sort of load that the speakers are likely to present and the sort of response you should expect. How the speaker couples to the room and it's power handling will also partly determine dynamic response. The larger the room the more power needed to drive to similar SPLs as in a much smaller room (less room reinforcement).

Not sure you quite got the gist of what I was saying.