POWER REQUIREMENTS
It is important to have enough power to play at the level you desire without distortion. If high sound levels are desired, the
DewPoints are designed to be used with amplifiers rated up to 200 watts per channel (into 8 ohms). If you play the speakers more
loudly than the volume the amplifier can cleanly produce, the amplifier will produce overload (clipping) distortion. The sound
will become compressed, strained, and in extreme cases, obviously distorted. This distortion is actually non-musical additional
energy, and since it is concentrated in the high frequency region where the speaker is least able to handle it, tweeters can be
damaged in extreme cases.
Keep in mind that sound quality is usually much more important than sound quantity. There can be large differences in the sonic
performance of two amplifiers of equal power, and this is more important than large differences in power. Most everyone will be
happier with a 100 watt amplifier of high sonic quality than a 200 watt amplifier of mediocre sonic quality. For this reason, we
feel there is no substitute for listening in making your amplifier decision.
The question “how much power do I need?” does not have the simple answer most people expect because it is not determined
only by the loudspeaker’s efficiency but also by the volume desired and the size of the listening area. If all three factors are
average, about 100 watts per channel is required. Each factor can raise or lower this amount by about three times.
1) Usually, people who “don’t like music loud” can decrease their power to about one-half. Also, people who like music loud
should increase their power by 2 times or more. Most people fall within a normal range.
2) A speaker with a low efficiency of 84 dB/W-m will require twice the power of an average 87 dB/W-m speaker and one with
a high rating of 90 dB/W-m will require only half the power of an average speaker. The DewPoint is of above average efficiency
(89 dB) and therefore requires less than an average amount of power for average volume levels.
3) Outdoor areas require a great deal more power to reproduce music at levels we typically enjoy inside since outdoor spaces do
not enjoy the amplification of sounds due to build-up of room reflections. For this reason, consider your listening area to be large
when choosing a partnering amplifier. If based on criteria above, you would choose a 100 watt amplifier for indoor use, you may
desire a 200 watt or greater amplifier for outdoor DewPoint installation.
With all this in mind, a person who doesn’t like to play music very loudly and has a tightly confined listening area can get
quality sound with the DewPoint with as little as 50 watts whereas a person who sometimes likes to play loudly outdoors may
need 200 watts or more. Please note that, although DewPoints are capable of loud playback levels, they are not intended to
reproduce concert levels outdoors.
BREAK-IN
The DewPoint, like most speakers, requires a period of playing before they perform optimally. The time depends on how loudly
the speakers are played; more time is required if played softly, less if played loudly. At least 50 hours at moderately loud levels
are required before the speaker is performing near optimum.
GRILLE
The DewPoint’s steel grille has been coated with weatherproofing paint making it impervious to rust. The grille is attached to the
cabinet magnetically and can be removed by gently prying the grille forward and away from the cabinet.
PAINTING THE CABINET
The DewPoint is shipped with an off-white finish. The speaker can be painted any desired
color. Be sure to use paint specified for outdoor use.
To paint the speaker, first remove the grille and insert the included painting mask
to protect the driver. The rim of the mask is tucked between the gray rubber woofer
surround and the white rim of the cabinet’s driver opening. Remove the grille before
painting. Take care to not clog the pores of the grille. Once the paint is dry on both the
cabinet and grille, reattach the grille using the supplied adhesive.
Painting mask installed
