Power to the KG4's

[christjared]

What type of reciever would you use to drive the KG4's? Does it need to be a pre-amp amp combo or would it be ok to drive them with a plan 'ol home theater reciever? I have heard they are really efficient speakers, but would i need more than 85w/channel? Im looking for the best sound to come out of these speakers. Input of what you have driving your KG4's would be helpful information. Thank you very much!

[jhawk92]

C-

While I don't have KG4s, I have a number of similar speakers; Chorus II, Forte II, etc. Yes, they are very efficient speakers, so 85WPC will be enough to drive them to pretty loud levels. Now whether those levels are loud enough for you, that's up to you to decide. If you want THX reference level, (forget the specific dB levels), then 85 watts won't be enough. It all depends on what your room size is and what you want your system to do.

Certainly a receiver will drive the speakers well. If you are willing to spend some extra money, then separates (preamp/amp) are a good way to go, and you can get some added sonic benefits that way. Initially, I used my Denon AVR-4800 to drive my HT, but now I use is as the pre/pro and have separate Denon amps to drive the speakers. I really enjoy the Klipsch/Denon combo, though some people prefer other brands. Making the switch from "receiver" to "separates" did make a difference to me, in terms of overall cleaner sound.

There are a number of other KG4 owners here, so I'll leave it to them to recommend specific gear. But if you want to stay in the receivers, Denon, Yamaha, Marantz, Harmon Kardon, etc are good. Separates can go from lower end (cost-wise) like Outlaw, to mid-level like Sherborne, B&K, Rotel, to higher end like Anthem, Aragon, Krell, Theta, etc. There are lots of other options, it all depends how much you want to spend.

[scotbuck]

Greetings,

Currently my kg4's are being fed by a 10wpc SET. I don't think that's an ideal amount of power for these speakers since they're only about 94dB sensitive - compared to 98dB and up for the larger Klipsch speakers.

Several forum members have spoken favorably about the old Harmon Kardon 430 receiver (25wpc solid state) as being a great match for the smaller Klipsch speakers. On that recommendation I went to eBay, bid on, and won such a receiver. (It hasn't arrived yet.) I'll be happy to give you my impressions after I've hooked it up. (BTW - my SET will be used later on with the larger K-Horn, Cornwall, or Chorus speakers when I get more room for them...)

That said, however, I like the kg4's even with my SET. The speed, clarity, and dynamics are outstanding. And if you place them so that the passive radiator bounces the low's just right, they've got great (if not huge) bass extension from a relatively small cabinet.

Enjoy!!!!

Take care,

Scott

UPDATE: The Harmon Kardon 430 arrived today ... I hooked it up and, sadly, was disappointed. (It's not bad, though, for an $81 investment!) Nevertheless, I believe that the extra $$$ for something more substantial would, in the long run, be money well spent.

[krustyoldsarge]

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On 10/5/2004 5:14:21 PM jhawk92 wrote:

C-

While I don't have KG4s, I have a number of similar speakers; Chorus II, Forte II, etc. Yes, they are very efficient speakers, so 85WPC will be enough to drive them to pretty loud levels. Now whether those levels are loud enough for you, that's up to you to decide. If you want THX reference level, (forget the specific dB levels), then 85 watts won't be enough. It all depends on what your room size is and what you want your system to do.

Certainly a receiver will drive the speakers well. If you are willing to spend some extra money, then separates (preamp/amp) are a good way to go, and you can get some added sonic benefits that way. Initially, I used my Denon AVR-4800 to drive my HT, but now I use is as the pre/pro and have separate Denon amps to drive the speakers. I really enjoy the Klipsch/Denon combo, though some people prefer other brands. Making the switch from "receiver" to "separates" did make a difference to me, in terms of overall cleaner sound.

There are a number of other KG4 owners here, so I'll leave it to them to recommend specific gear. But if you want to stay in the receivers, Denon, Yamaha, Marantz, Harmon Kardon, etc are good. Separates can go from lower end (cost-wise) like Outlaw, to mid-level like Sherborne, B&K, Rotel, to higher end like Anthem, Aragon, Krell, Theta, etc. There are lots of other options, it all depends how much you want to spend.

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From another KG4 owner, ditto the above. I used to drive mine with a Marantz 2220b (20wpc) and they had sufficient power, but not a lot of reserve. They really roared with my Marantz 2385 (185wpc). They are a good match with Marantz. Then I got my ChorusII's and my KG4's just sat around. Looking to buy a Yamaha HT receiver and hook up my KG4s as the rear channel.

[christjared]

I dont think i will be running a THX surround system anytime soon. These speakers will be in my dorm room. There isnt that much room to run a nice surround system that will sound ok. Will my Yamaha reciever push these speakers for my dorm room. I dont party at all in my because of my stereo equipment so they wont be abused at all in my room but there will be periods where i like to listen to some loud music. Im thinking that Yamaha will be enough but i want to be sure. Any other sugestions out there for power?

[dougdrake]

I drove my KG4s with a 55wpc NAD receiver (NAD typically understates their power) and it drove them like it stole 'em!!

[SteelerFan]

I drove my KG4's with with an old JVC receiver (50wpc) and they sounded great! I'm still using that JVC with Forte2's now and the sound is still great.

[Bill H.]

christjared,

I have KG 4's, and run them with a small 35 wpc Creek Int amp. It works beautifully! Good , clean , crisp sound! I have an audio cable running from my computer, to the amp - to listen to Internet radio!