Tell me if I am understanding this correctly...

[AudioDoctor]

The db meter on my iPhone said I hit a peak of 88db, with my speakers that are 88db efficient, does that mean I was using roughly 1 watt of power maximum?

[fas42]

If the phone was fairly close to being one metre away, directly in front of a speaker on one side, then it would be close to being the case - then there is the matter of how accurate the app is, along with the phone.

[esldude]

If the app is accurate it isn't too far from the truth.  Past 500 hz with most domestic listening rooms, you'll reach a point where direct and reflected sound are equal, and you'll read similar SPL at all locations.  It isn't going to be too far from the one meter value in most cases.  

 

If you really want to know feed it pink noise, use a voltmeter to set voltage across your speaker terminals at 2.83 volts and see what SPL you get at the listening position then.  There are variations in impedance etc, but you could figure it out pretty well.  

[STC]

1 hour ago, AudioDoctor said:

with my speakers that are 88db efficient, does that mean I was using roughly 1 watt of power maximum?

 

That’s the typical power required for a comfortable 80 or 85dB listening around 3 meters or so. 

 

Here is a Nagra driving a 90dB speaker’s which was at demo level loudness. It hardly crossed 1W. Depends on the music, at times it can hit more than 500W during peak. 

 

[AudioDoctor]

I was actually 1 meter from a speaker as measured by a laser measuring tape at the front of the iPhone. 

[AudioDoctor]

@STC Thats pretty neat, thanks for sharing.

[Confused]

I think it might be a little more complex than a simple calculation, this might be interesting......

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

If that video were true of all cases, the meters on my McIntosh would be pegged at 200 watts constantly and thats simply not the case.