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Speaker wattage as it applies to loudness

Back to basics. “Is it true that just because a speaker has a high wattage, say 200 watts, that it will be louder than a lower wattage speaker.”

In a word, no. There are several points of confusion here. First, speakers do not “have” wattage. A watt is a unit power and, unless your speakers have power amps built in, they don’t have any. Non powered speakers may have wattage ratings, but this is only to indicate their ability to handle power. If your speaker is rated at 200 watts that means it can handle 200 watts of power. Depending upon how the manufacturer arrived at this rating it may be able to handle a lot more than this. A 200 watt speaker with 200 watts being delivered to it may be the same volume as a 1000 watt speaker with 200 watts delivered to it. Then again, it may not.

A speaker’s ability to handle power is one factor that will determine how loud it can be. Efficiency, sensitivity, and dispersion characteristics will all contribute to its apparent loudness. Further, a speaker producing only a narrow range of frequencies may be able to get much louder than when trying to reproduce a full range of frequencies. It is definitely not safe to say a 500-watt speaker will go louder than a 200-watt speaker (though it is often the case). Besides, you also have to keep in mind that each time you double the power you only get 3dB more volume (all other things being equal), which in the grand scheme of things isn’t all that much. When choosing speakers one has to look at all of these issues at once. For example, all other things being equal a speaker with a sensitivity of 98 dB (usually rated as dBSPL with 1 watt applied measured at a 1 meter distance) that is handling 500 watts will actually be the same volume as a speaker rated at 95 dB sensitivity handling 1000 watts. This is a perfect way to illustrate how dangerous specs can be in the hands of someone who doesn’t truly understand them. As I’ve said many times before up here, call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer to get solid advice and help in configuring speaker systems.

Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Select manufacturers may require that only the manufacturer’s products qualify towards the minimum purchase amount needed to be eligible for promotional financing. Otherwise, an invoice that meets the minimum purchase amount and contains at least one qualifying manufacturer product is eligible for promotional financing. No interest will be charged on promo purchase balance, and equal monthly payments are required on promo purchase until it is paid in full. The payments equal the amount financed divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded up to the next whole dollar. These payments may be higher than the payments that would be required if this purchase was a non-promo purchase. During the last month(s) of the promo period the required monthly payment may be reduced due to the prior months’ rounding. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases. New Accounts as of 07/31/2025: Purchase APR is 34.99%. Penalty APR is 39.99%. Min Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.

Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo balance if you pay it off, in full, within the promo period. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo balance from the purchase date. The required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off the promo balance before the end of the promo period, depending on purchase amount, promo length and payment allocation. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases and, after promo period ends, to the promo balance. New Accounts as of 07/31/2025: Purchase APR is 34.99%. Penalty APR is 39.99%. Min Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.

The estimated required monthly payment shown which excludes taxes and delivery equals the amount financed divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded up to the next cent. During the last month(s) of the promo period the required monthly payment may be reduced due to this rounding. These payments apply only with the financing offer shown. If you make these payments by the due date each month, you should pay off this amount financed within the promo period, if it is the only balance you are paying off. If you have other balances on your account, this payment will be added to any other minimum monthly payments.

Applies only to select items from this manufacturer. Ask your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for more details.