dB vs SPL... Define for me.

here's one i haven't dealt with in a long time...

decible - dB
sound pressure level - SPL

SPL is measured using 1 watt of power at a distance of 1 meter. its just a reference of efficiency of your sound system and nothing else. decible output is the sound level and is essentially the same thing as spl as it is sometimes called sound sensitivity and is also measured in dB. Eitherway... SPL and dB are about the same...

now, onto why you got a better rating than homie who dumped a shitcan of money into his system... more power doesnt necessarily mean more spl, its all in the way things are configured to tell you the truth. for instance, a 600 watt amplifier hooked to a 80dB speaker can be just as loud as an 100 watt amplifier hooked to a 100dB speaker. now, before someone says some stupid shit, read on.

air shifting is not like water shifting. top-quality speakers are only about 1-2% efficient when it comes to the electrical impulse to sound conversion. as most of you have noticed, some of the higher watt systems get pretty fuckin hot. you lose a ton of power in the heat. small incremental increases in actual speaker efficiency results in a higher sound output. So, configuration is everything. Good efficient speakers with a moderate amplifier is going to produce a lot better sound than just throwing name brands and high power ratings together and thinking you're going to get the top quality sound just because of a name and wattage numbers. some other minor factors come into play as well, such as the box configuration, etc... etc.. but the most important factors are producing the right combination to gain the most efficiency from your system.

it's kinda like getting a huge ass turbo because it was a name brand and you got it cheap --- it doesnt mean you're going to put out any power if its not efficient on *your* engine. Stuff has to match and work well together in order for it to operate the way you'd like it to.

Plus they are two different vehicles. In college, I was HUGE into sound system competitions. I outgrew the competition aspect of it though.

yeah, that has a bit to do with it too.

i haven't really done much with sound in YEARS, myself. the only time i try to remember anything of what I learned when I would do that kinda stuff is when I go to upgrade my own stuff...

Ill never own a car without a seperate small sub though

oh hell no. it's amazing how much difference even a small sub can make.

All good. You should get with Sean (my neighbor) about a custom box for the tundra... he's going to do a new one for my rolla. but you've heard how my stereo sounds... not too loud, not too quiet, just right. its a single 12 with a 500w amp. it's worked great for 5 yrs now.

Same with me...Ive been running the same Crossfire amp with audiobahn sub for 4 years now.