Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, 3rd Edition

 

6	The amplifier/loudspeaker interface
	Martin Colloms

6.1 Introduction

The loudspeaker does not stand alone. For it to operate, it must be fed electrical power corresponding to audio signals. Given that loudspeaker efficiency is low, when compared with other systems such as an electric motor, fairly large amplifiers are necessary to produce realistic sound intensities. It is fortunate that our great aural sensitivity does not require high acoustic power for good subjective loudness. High-quality domestic and monitoring loudspeaker systems show a typical conversion efficiency of 0.5-1.5% for the conversion of electrical input to radiated acoustic power, while stage, public address and sound-reinforcement systems using horn-loaded drivers ...