Kef Reference 3 + Devialet 200

[f1eng]

People seem to be getting confused between bass volume and bass frequency.
These small speakers will not be able to go very loud at the low frequencies, obviously, and with the thermal and displacement mapping so well explained on the web site if you turn them up a lot the low bass will be progressively reduced relative to the mid range.

I see, so for instance the SAM database gives 28.6Hz for the KEF LS50. However the bass volume (SPL?) would be very low for that versus a much larger speaker which also only goes down to 28.6Hz?

If so what is the point of the SAM figure? Shouldn't it be quoted ideally with a SPL value as well?

Quite, and maybe it should, though most people do not. Even big speakers tend to have very high bass distortion at high levels. The whole speaker specs thing is a minefield particularly since room and location in room have as big an influence on bass as the speaker design itself. To quote a SPL would imply a distortion figure too and most speakers have many percent of distortion below 100 Hz.
The funniest SAM spec, IMO, is the LS3/5a which iirc has a travel limit of 2mm on its SAM protection profile, so it will not be very loud in the bass at all