25-W or 75-W to power my new RB-5II

[Hiend wannabe]

I've gone with Rb-5's as my mains, they are large enough for my apt. and the bass won't disturb my neighbors, anyway Dean seems to love them. ty.

It almost seems ironic but after reading here and on other post I need help with powering these babys. I like the new HK-3375 two channel Reciever with high a. But I've read a lot of good things about the little AMC 3025a a simple 25-30 watt Int. amp. Could this little amp possibly keep up with a 75 watt reciever? It is sad the HK is available at CC. ackkk! but also at some mid-end shops. The AMC would match my AMC cd-8 I plan to buy as I'm on a budget. Adive from Dean and others on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

previous & most high end system to date:

Yamaha RX-770, Paradigm Mon. 9 and Marantz cd-6000se. I was happy with this setup but was forced to part with it.

[artto]

Doubling the power will produce 3 decibels of additional output. It takes 10 times the power to make it sound twice as loud.

The difference between a 25 watt amp & a 75 watt amp is only about 4.5 decibels. You just don't want the amp to be "clipping" as it reaches beyond maximum output. Too little power can damage a speaker faster than having a large reserve of power.

I'm not an RB5 expert, but it appears they have an efficiency rating of 96Db per watt per meter.

1watt=96 decibels

2=99

4=102

8=105

16=108

32=111

64=114

Don't forget you have 2 speakers & 2 channels of amp power. So add +3Db to the actual result because you are doubling what one speaker/amp channel can produce.

In a live reverberant sound field in rooms the size we typically listen in, there is not much, if any drop off in sound level beyond 12 feet. The sound level drops by 3Db every doubling of distance.

One good clean watt is better than 3 dirty ones.

So as long as you're not expecting to play cannon shots or something like The Who at live levels, the choice is yours!

[Deang]

Agreed.

You're in an apartment, on a budget, and low power ANYTHING is going to sound better than a higher power receiver. With higher powered solid state, transistors are doubled up resulting in some nasty crossover distortion. A 30 watt integrated is a good choice, and just about right for the RB-5's in the room you'll be in. I think you'll be surprised at how loud it can get when you want it to be -- surely enough to annoy your wonderful neighbors.

In the price range your shopping at, just make sure you do your homework. There MAY be a better unit for the same amount of money. Have you considered buying something slightly used off of AudiogoN? Savings are in the extreme. I haven't bought a new piece in over a year.