I needed to replace an old, old set of 3-way speakers and these speakers are a close match. They’re a proven design that was perfected in the 1970’s These CerwinVega! SL-12’s are for loud rock n roll, and have the punch to get LOUD. They are rated for 300W each, and will rock a large party.
But realistically, who listens to their music at 300 watts? My wife and I listen to music at less than 0.1W most of the time, 1W is loud, and 10W is the loudest we can stand, and it can annoy the neighbors. So what’s going on?
First I researched the math about perceived loudness, decibels, and power. You can look it up, but it shows you need 10 times as much power to sound twice as loud. So 300 watts is only twice as loud as 30 watts, as heard by the human ear. So why buy these speakers?
I auditioned the newer design speakers with similar power ratings. These have multiple, identical small drivers, passive radiators, etc., and they just do not sound good without sub-woofers. They don’t tell you about the sub-woofer until you become very interested in the main speakers. And who wants all the stereo bass jammed into one channel? Rock and roll has some interesting performances where you would want your bass in stereo.
I’m using a vintage receiver that is rated for 40W RMS. Even at very low volume levels, the sound is rich and warm, and you can still feel the lowest base frequencies going into your body. For me, this is the best thing about these speakers. You won’t get that with small speakers. The 12″ woofers are like two sub-woofers, without the extra cabinets. It just gets better at higher volumes.
The biggest caution that I can throw out is that if you are going to underpower these speakers, stay comfortably below the rated power of your amp/receiver and stay in the volume range that it still sounds clear. Turning the volume higher his can cause “clipping,” a form of distortion which will cause the tweeters to overheat and fail. Stay within the capability of your amp.
I gave only 4 stars to the quality of material. There are no defects whatsoever, but the cabinet materials and visual design are just plain and unremarkable. Take off the covers to reveal the intense red color of the speaker cones.
One last thing: Serious audiophiles look down on this brand. That’s because CerwinVega! speakers are too much fun!
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