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The Numbers Game

The spec sheet isn't lying. It's just not telling you everything.

A running series on how AV manufacturers write numbers to win comparisons — watts, contrast ratios, frequency response, and more — explained in plain terms, one spec at a time.

PowerSpeakers
Latest

"500W Peak Power" — and What It Actually Means

Peak power is measured for milliseconds under lab conditions you'll never recreate in your living room. Here's the number that actually predicts how loud and clean a system will sound.

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Spec Check

Decibel Scale, Explained

+3dBBarely noticeable
+10dBSounds "twice as loud"
ScaleLogarithmic, not linear
Displays

Contrast Ratio Isn't One Number

"1,000,000:1" on a box tells you almost nothing without knowing how it was measured. We break down native vs. dynamic contrast.

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Speakers

Frequency Response Ranges, Decoded

"20Hz–20kHz" sounds impressive on any speaker. The real question is how flat the response is between those numbers.

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Cabinets

Sealed vs. Ported: What You're Trading Off

Ported boxes measure louder on paper. Sealed boxes often sound tighter in a real room. Here's why the spec sheet won't tell you which one you want.

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