Hi everyone, I am new to this forum. Hoping someone can clarify/advise the kind of power a receiver/amp must have for the RP-8000Fs (I just ordered these and they are arriving tomorrow). A Klipsch customer support person I called really confused me, I am wondering if he's new and doesn't know what he's talking about, or if I need to get an external amp. He says the RP-8000Fs need a "minimum" of 120 watts RMS or they can get damaged with clipping. My AVR puts out 100 per channel for 2 channel music, more like 50 per channel when in surround mode for home theater (5.1.2 for me). I asked if this risk only applies if I blast the volume too high, he then said the speakers could get damaged even if listening at lower volume if the amp isn't a minimum of 120 watts. That didn't make any sense to me, especially based on positive reviews for these speakers from many using an AVR with the kind of power mine has, or even less. Perhaps the speaker's manual will state something about this 120 watt "minimum", but online the only wattage specs I see state "up to" 150 watts RMS & 600 watts peak. These are also very sensitive speakers at 98 db, I asked the customer support person about that and he had no answer, making me really wonder if he was feeding me nonsense trying to convince me to buy an external amp. By the time I was done with him it was after the Klipsch customer support line closed, I will call again tomorrow to try speaking to someone else. In the meantime I figured I'd try here.
I am upgrading from more entry level 11 yr old Polk TSI 400s that just had "20-200 watts" in their specs (no mention of RMS or peak), I had an 85 watt per channel (2 channel) AVR that worked fine with those at any volume. My newest AVR from about a month ago is the Yamaha Aventage A2A, rated at 100 watts per channel, 2 channels driven. This would be how I'd primarily listen to music, not using my sub to better appreciate pure direct mode. The Polks just were too weak for my preference with bass this way, I hear pure direct tends to either sound better or expose weaknesses of some speakers that aren't that great. And overall I believe the Klipschs I am getting are just better sounding speakers overall.
But now I'm concerned about potentially damaging the speakers with my AVR if that customer support guy was right. I do like to turn up the volume at times for music listening, nothing too crazy or deafening, but not too low all the time. And for home theater when my AVR is only putting out about 50 watts max to each of those speakers, if this customer support guy is right the risk of damaging them goes up a bunch. For home theater only I would always use a powered subwoofer (SVS SB3000) & cross the Klipschs over at either 60 or 80. I'd rather not go much over 500 on an amp (which I wasn't planning or budgeting for until this call to Klipsch support) so if I had to an Emotiva BasX 2 channel amp does deliver 160 watts per channel. Or a 2 channel amp around 500 if there are better options.
Hopefully this customer support guy didn't know what he was talking about, I'd rather not spend another 500 on an amp if it's not necessary. But I will if I have to, last thing I want to do is damage these speakers even if not cranking them.
If anyone here has used these speakers and can advise what kind of power worked for them that would be great. Or just some knowledge about speakers/watts and what is actually necessary in my case would be appreciated as well.
Thanks!
