Amp channel with no load harmful?

[USNRET]

I am thinking that back years ago I heard that operating an amp (receiver, etc) without a speaker connected is a No No. Is this true?

I have a couple of Emo amps that I am using and I change out speaker configurations every now and then. For instance is it OK to have a 3 channel power amp only powering two speakers (no defeat switch available to 'turn off the third channel)?

Perhaps it's just that back in my day there were a lot of tube / hybrid stuff around. I do remember being told not to power up my VRD amp without a load.

Just checking with you boys first before making a tech call in to Emo.

[Rich_Guy]

From Lonnie the head designer at Emotiva. It is perfectly fine to not use all the amp channels under normal use. So if you have an XPA-5 and only 4 of the 5 are connected it will be fine with normal usage.

What can cause problems is if you intentionally were to use a multi- channel amp with less channels to try to get extra maximum wattage. In other words if you had say an XPA-5 and only connect 1 channel and constantly play it at max volumes so that it peaks out that 1 channel beyond what it was intended for. So you wouldn't want to buy two XPA-5's to use for 2 channel stereo just to try to take advantage of the extra watts using only 1 of the 5 channels would give you as it could damage the amp(s). What would damage the amp is trying to get that extra maxed out wattage.

However under normal usage having only 4 channels connected would be fine as well as the normal occasional 2 channel stereo use.

So just don't buy a five channel 200 wpc amp just to use it to try and get 300 wpc because you use less channels connected, this type of abuse will damage the amp.

[djk]

"I am thinking that back years ago I heard that operating an amp
(receiver, etc) without a speaker connected is a No No. Is this true?"

It may be a problem with many tube amplifiers, but shouldn't be a problem with solid state amplifiers.

[Sonance84]

It may be a problem with many tube amplifiers, but shouldn't be a problem with solid state amplifiers.

+1

[wuzzzer]

Good to know. I'm only using 4 of my LPA-1's 7 channels.

[USNRET]

Thanks ALL! So far I have the XPA-5 and -3 amps and received the Onkyo PR-SC5507P today (THREE DAYS EARLIER THAN PROMISED, I have great things to say about this on-line retailer so far [] []). Got the pre-pro out of its box and spent some time reading the manual, a little bewildering but not as bad as the Denon AVR manual. I remain confused [:$] about the two Dynamic Volumes in concert with Audyssey MultiXt .

I have the -5 powering my 5.1 speakers from the AVR at this moment and after I return from my 'sure to be enlightening' experience at political correctness / touchy-feelly training in DC I will install the pre-pro. The -3 is hiding out from the snooping family CFO. I am hoping the Denon AVR and the Onkyo pre-pro look enough alike that it won't be noticed...if I can get my 9 y.o. son from opening his mouth [:#].

I am keeping my eyes open for a deal on some RB-? that can be used as Front Highs on top of the RF-83s. I have placed a for sale sign on the board at work for the 4306 and have a couple of hits (AVR used only on Sunday to listen to Gospel music).

I am dying to put the Onkyo in the rack tonight but I can't run the setup with everyone in bed nor leave a partially configured main system that the Harmony is not dialed in for a week while I am gone as she and they would be [8o|] [8o|]

[USNRET]

slipped it in today, hope the family doesn't have troubles while i'm gone........

[peshewah]

Watch out for the 9 year old boys(I have one). They act like your best friend until they are alone with there Mom, and he's wanting a video game. Spill's his guts every time.

Its good you got the XPA 5 instead of the 3. You have room to expand. Good luck brother.