What speakers play the loudest cleanly ?

acoustat6 is on mark. i bought a spl meter for $50 (radio shack) and it is a real shocker to realize how loud even 87 db is with peaks to 110. it is the clarity of the sound that is most critical. speakers that sound better loud than soft are not great spkrs imo. spl drops off fairly quickly as you back off speaker. lively rooms will create resonance and high spl but that is not music is it? maybe off point here but realistic symphony volume is possible without sounding 'loud'. fwiw... yes the klipsch can rattle the cabinets. most other horns too. simple physics.

Judging from their demos at the LA HE show, I'd say MBL.

Hi Stehno, I find those levels to be loud enough (maybe it is not loud) but it is a personal thing. I agree that 94-105db is room filling etc. At that point it is loud though quite listenable. It does matter though on your system and room acoustics. Some people say that 90 db is loud and others say 80db is loud while others feel that 110db is it. Hence my curiosity when people make reference to a level it needs a number to back it up from their personal experience or what they are trying to achieve.
Thanks for the compliment on the bikes, are you into bikes?
Bob.

rockport arakkis!!

Acoustat6, my loud comment was half in jest (I did have a smiley after the comment), but those are the listening volumes for me especially for some of the more rambunctious guilty pleasure types of music I enjoy.

BTW, when a topic such as loudness, ear fatigue, etc. comes up, we need to consider that some to many of the responses we read have as much to do with system compression, congestion, time-smear, improper or no line-conditioning, improper or no vibration mgmt, etc., etc..

In other words, without properly addressing some to many of these elements, 65 db, can make even a fine system sound too loud. If you know what I mean.

Am I into bikes? Am I ever!!! I'll just never drive one for fear of road rash induced by others.

-IMO