Ron Ribaudo

I have paired a NAD C298 stereo amp with my Forte IV speakers. The amp has an option for the gain -- either fixed or variable. The Forte IV's recommends a 100 watt amp . The NAD C298 runs 185 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Questions: Should I run fixed gain? (The gain is 28.6 db.) Or should I run a variable with a lower gain? If the latter, what should the gain be set at/how should I select the gain? I ask these questions because my prior speakers were powered Elac NAVIS, which had a gain option (low or high), and I always preferred the low setting. My fear is that if I set the gain TOO low I might risk clipping. But I also worry that 185 watts with a 28.5 db gain might be OVERPOWERING the speakers (and, at a minimum, introducing distortion). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I am powering my Klipsch Forte IV speakers with a NAD C298 stereo amplifier. Source unit is a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge, connected to the amplifier with XLR balanced cables. My questions: Should I stick with the fixed gain setting on the amp (28.6 db gain)? Or should I use the variable gain (which allows me to reduce the gain) setting on the amp? If the latter, how do I select the "proper" gain? My prior speakers were Elac Navis bookshelves. They had a gain switch: high or low. I preferred the low setting. I was wondering if the Forte IV would likewise sound better with a lower gain setting.