Harmon/Kardon three-thirty with heresy

[castlehouse]

hello all !!!

i am new to this forum, and i am in need of some expert klipsch advice...

i have just purchased a pair of heresy 1 speakers,

and i was looking for a harmon/kardon 430 or 730 receiver to power them...

i did not find any 430's or 730's that were in good cosmetic condition,

but i DID come across a harmon/kardon three-thirty nocturne receiver.

it is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! (but)... it's rated at only 15 watts per channel.

im not looking to play my music at super-loud "concert" levels,

but i would like some "volume" on occasion.

i know that the heresys do not require big wattage,

but 15 (solid state) watts per side is a bit low compared to 15 (tube) watts... right?

so, my question is:

is there any danger in using a 15 watt-per-channel receiver with the heresys?

i mean... could i damage my speakers by under powering them?

could i get some decent listening levels from this combo if there is NO danger of damage to the speakers?

any advice would be appreciated.

(by the way)... my other amplifier choice is a NAD 3020.

any thoughts on using one with a pair of 1st gen heresys would be very helpful as well.

thank you.

[djk]

Which 330 is it; 330, 330B, or 330C?

[tube fanatic]

hello all !!!
i am new to this forum, and i am in need of some expert klipsch advice...

i have just purchased a pair of heresy 1 speakers,
and i was looking for a harmon/kardon 430 or 730 receiver to power them...
i did not find any 430's or 730's that were in good cosmetic condition,
but i DID come across a harmon/kardon three-thirty nocturne receiver.
it is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! (but)... it's rated at only 15 watts per channel.

im not looking to play my music at super-loud "concert" levels,
but i would like some "volume" on occasion.

i know that the heresys do not require big wattage,
but 15 (solid state) watts per side is a bit low compared to 15 (tube) watts... right?

so, my question is:
is there any danger in using a 15 watt-per-channel receiver with the heresys?
i mean... could i damage my speakers by under powering them?

could i get some decent listening levels from this combo if there is NO danger of damage to the speakers?

any advice would be appreciated.

(by the way)... my other amplifier choice is a NAD 3020.
any thoughts on using one with a pair of 1st gen heresys would be very helpful as well.

thank you.

Many factors contribute to how much power you need, including the size of your listening room and what you mean by "volume." Have you measured how loudly you enjoy listening with a spl (sound pressure level) meter? That will quickly determine how much power you need for the Heresys. Regarding solid state vs. tube power, watts are watts! The difference is in the distortion, particularly if the amp is pushed a bit beyond its means. Tube amps tend to distort (or clip) a bit more "smoothly," whereas solid state amps distort in a more abrupt fashion. The danger to the speakers is using them with an amp that is clipping. With the Heresys, unless you are listening at extremely loud levels, it's unlikely that you will ever need more than a few watts/channel; 15 should be plenty.

[Bill H.]

On the NAD 3020 unit. It was NAD's most popular seller. The sound is mellow and warm, some folks comment it is the subduded British sound.