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The dealer may have shown the speakers' maximum short term loudness capability for a few minutes. If you have the same equipment as the dealer, you can play the system as loud as you heard it at the dealer's shop; but like the dealer, you must turn the volume down after a few minutes to allow the drivers to cool.
The protection device reduces the likelihood of damage but does not eliminate it. Protection that would eliminate all possibility of driver damage would seriously impair the sound of the speakers. Because no protection devices are perfect, proper use and operation of the system is still very important. You should never assume that the protection device would always protect the speakers.
Then you need a pair of party speakers. Just as a dump truck is designed to haul gravel and a sports car is designed to handle well around corners, speakers cannot be all things for all occasions. Your speakers are intended to deliver clean, accurate reproduction at normal listening levels. It is not intended for sound reinforcement or long term party levels.
For sound reinforcement or long term party levels you may want to get a second set of speakers better matched to the high volume requirements. Party speakers should be a horn-loaded or multi-driver design with an efficiency of at least 95db for one watt input and a tone-term power-handling ability of at least one hundred watts.
The same precautions that apply to music apply to using the speakers in a video system. Stay within the limits of the amplifier and the speakers' power de-rating curve. Don't overdrive the system on spectacular sound effects.
As long as you keep in mind that many test tones are recorded at levels much higher than would ever occur in music. When you play any type of test tone through the speakers, always keep the volume low.
To listen to the speakers while you are outside, the system would have to be very loud and would likely be left that way for a long time. Not being in the room with the system, you would not be able to hear any warning signs of distress.
If a speaker has been damaged from overdriving, one or more of the drivers will not be functioning, or will be buzzing, There will be no doubt that the speaker is damaged.
Modern hi-fi speakers are not fragile. However, by being open about the handling limitations that apply to all speakers, we hope to ensure that you will never have a problem with your speakers.
Playing an amplifier too loud causes distorted sound due to a phenomenon called 'clipping', which in severe instances will damage and ‘blow’/burn the HF units of your loudspeakers. This is a defect that is not covered by the usual guarantee that allows for manufacturing defects. Amplifier Clipping is the main destroyer of perfectly sound loudspeakers and normally takes place when domestic hi-fi products are used beyond their capabilities.
If you have a party, rather acquire the correctly specified amplifiers (very high power 150W plus) and the correct speakers – also very high power handling and even more important very high sensitivity (95db plus to prevent a hefty bill for repairs to your domestic use hi-fi equipment). Defects to over-driven amplifiers and speakers damaged by such amplifiers are not a manufacturing defect and not covered by the manufacturers guarantee.
See www.nadelectronics.com for more info on the NAD Soft Clipping feature built into all NAD amplifiers and receivers – also referred to by some as the ‘party’ switch!
Consult the owner’s manual and follow the appropriate instructions. Going into protection is a sign that something is drastically wrong – shorted out speaker cables, etc. The best advice is to switch the unit off immediately and if the problem persists when switching on again, consult a service centre.
When it comes to cars the Americans believe that there is no replacement for cubic inches... which was very true in the older days. These days, determining the required power for a system is dependant on room size, type of music, how loud you want to listen to your music, where you live and a few other factors.
Most modern day 30w per channel stereo amplifiers will be sufficient in the majority of applications. By matching a ‘small’ 30w amplifier to a higher sensitivity loudspeaker of, for instance, 90db plus, a very loud sound pressure level can be generated for domestic use. In fact by increasing the sensitivity of the speakers used in the system by 3db, the effective power of the amplifier is doubled – so in the previous example the 30w amp becomes a 60w amp when used on a 93db speaker, and a 15w only amp when used on an 87db speaker.
It is a lot less expensive to buy a higher sensitivity speaker than an integrated amp of double the power. See www.nadelectronics.com for info on the NAD Power Drive circuitry that turns a 30W amplifier into an effective 100W plus power house. It is common knowledge that the destroyer-in-chief of loudspeakers is NOT those that have extra powerful amplifiers, but under-powered ones played past their safe maximum output level.
