re: Garage Stereo Advice

So because the ELAC B6 run at 6 ohms and the Polk S20 run at 8 ohms at the same power level from the amp the ELAC will produce more? Why is it every review I've come across says the Polk will produce big sound and deeper bass to the point I may not need a sub? The Polk is rated from 39 Hz to 40kHz. Lower lows and higher highs than the ELACs. So I'm thinking the Polk has much better range and would be a more all around speaker. Or should I have some doubt in those ratings? I realize these are manufacturer specs and the real world is different.

I came across the Polk's at $200 before lunch and was like, I'll think it over during lunch. Came back and they were gone already. Oh well, snoozed and lost. But maybe avoided a mistake and will end up getting the ELACs.

Looking over the specs again, the ELACs should pair up better with the receiver I'm getting at 6 ohms.

ETA: you can put 600 watts through a speaker that's only rated for 120 watts? Am I misunderstanding?

You need to understand the relationship between wattage, resistance, and voltage.

Also...I said the difference was minimal...about 1dB.

And as far as going deeper, unless you know the rolloff slope (-6, -12, -18, -24dB/octave), you can’t determine from just looking at a spec sheet. It’s kinda like saying the Camaro with 450 hp is faster than a 911 Carrera S because it has 30 more horsepower.


Regarding speakers and loudness, THIS Music Board post I made a while back may help.


When you speak of reviews, where are you seeing the reviews? If they are Amazon, remember that 90% of the population is stupid...so don’t read Amazon reviews....for anything!

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What worries me about the ELAC is that they are 6 ohms and would take more power to drive.

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Nope...That’s now haw that works.

Resistance is not static...it is an ever fluctuating measurement of load that a motor (speaker) presents to a force (amp)...it changes thousands of times per second. The measurement given in the spec is nominal. Amplifier topology also plays a big role in how resistance is affected. There is not a 2+2=4 simple equation that you plug numbers into to tell a speaker or amps behavior. There are a shitload of variables (frequency, roll off, cabinet resonant frequency, how it was measured, amp topology, amp current output, length of cables, damping factors, type of magnets used...)—and that is just a few!

You are reading a couple specs without a knowledge of electrical current and its relationship converting to conversion to mechanical waves, thus rendering those specs useless (to you).

See the car analogy above.

I think the more I think about this the more confused I am getting.

So you're telling me the ELACs are on another level from the Polk S20s. Quit thinking about it and buy the ELACs, it'll be fine.

Just to update. I ended up going with the Polk S20's. It was a tough choice. The Polks just did it for me. I'm in a garage, so not the best acoustics so I think the detail of the ELAC B6s were lost on me.

The Polks can fricking rock and the bass is good enough a sub isn't necessary out here. They excelled during the canon shots during the 1812 Overture, the low bass of the Beastie Boys Intergalactic, and these Polks love Black Sabbath, and so do I.

Anyway, I think things like these come down to personal tastes, like food or music. I'm satisfied so that's all that matters.

Thanks to you guys for all your help and insight. Appreciate it.

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I'm satisfied so that's all that matters.

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That’s the answer. Awesome that you found something you like!

marco -- was able to snag those ELACs for $220 last night on Amazon. What do you recommend amp wise for my home gym (garage)?