Jump to content

Mismatched Everything?


Lex Kempo

Recommended Posts

I bought a "beginner's" kit last February:

RF 15's main's 100 Watts

RS 25's Surrounds 75 Watts

RC 25 Center 125 Watts

RW 8 Sub

Denon 1505 Amp 75 WPC

Regular Sony DVD Player (Digital out ...DTS....Component)

When im watching movies or even listening to music... i sometimes feel unfullfilled. Like i feel my system should be better.

The dialogue isnt often as loud as id want it to be.....the mains often overpower them.

The Surrounds dont seem to make me feel "Surrounded" ... they arent that loud ...

What im wondering is:

Is my amp strong enough for my center or my mains? Am i getting the best possible sound?

If i got a new amp

If i got a 100 WPC amp .... would it damage the Surrounds because they are only rated at 75 Watts?

If i got a 125 WPC amp ... could it damage my surrounds and my mains?

I need a little info on what these speakers need for power and how much power they can take without damaging them.

I HAVE been looking at a Marantz SR7500 or Denon 2106 or even a Yamaha RX1600B ... but will these amps make my speakers "sound" better?

I have also considered that maybe the SOURCE is the problem ... as in my DVD player might suck the big one... so i also wondered if that would get me a better sound. (Denon 1920 maybe?)

Last year i kind of bought this whole system blindly ... thinking i knew what i needed. (The Sales Reps's were little help)

Did i buy a totally mismatched system? Do i need new components to get the best out of my system?

Anyone have advice for me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lex,

The only thing I can see is that you (maybe) should have purchased the RF 25 or RF 35 for your Main speakers.

Because Klipsch speakers are so efficient, you don't need lots of Power. EDIT: SEE Fish's comment below! He is correct!

As you alude to, you might try a different DVD player, Or AVR Receiver! (If your store has a 30 return Policy) [;)]

Hopefully a sub expert will chime in on your RW 8. Good luck and Post Pics when you can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lex, if you check out www.klipsch.com and look at the specifications of the speakers you have, you'll notice that the peak power that your speakers can handle is actually 2-3 times the rating listed on the back of the speakers. With the efficiency of Klipsch speakers, you don't need an amp with a million watts, you just need an amp that's built very well and puts out quality watts.

Your best bet, as was mentioned, is to upgrade to a higher end receiver. You have very capable speakers!

:EDIT:

As an example, I have an old Harman / Kardon amp that is rated at 40 watts per channel. I have RF-25 speakers. At the 11 o'clock position on the volume knob, these speakers are LOUD! And sound great at the same time! This amp replaced my supposed 100 watt/channel Sony. I'd say the Harman/Kardon plays at least as loud as the Sony, and sounds a million times better at the same time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, Thanks for the Reply Gang!

I got the system i bought because i was on a budget and i had to have it when i moved out. Had i known better, and with the knowlegde i have now ... id have gotten at least a RF35 Matching system ...

So.............WHAT Receiver would you guys recommend that has SUSTAINED power, and not DENON power ... ?

How does the Marantz SR7500 look? (105 WPC )

Any other suggestions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All this talk about receiver power seems off the mark to me.

Your main complaint seems to me to be overall system balance. ..."center channel is overpowered by the mains... surround aren't loud enough" ..

It sounds to me like your system isn't "tuned" to your room. I know these Denon's don't have auto-equalization but even with a limited power receiver, you should feel okay about the room/speaker balance at medium volumes. (normal listening)

If I were you I'd be getting a SPL meter and a test recording and doing some tuning, if your ears are telling you somethings wrong, it's prolly the tuning of the levels of all those speakers, not the power of the receiver. The power of your receiver might be inadequate to drive a large room, but I'll bet it isn't the problem.

In my experience, a more powerful amplifier will make your system sound better, as it has a lot of reserve headroom, that helps deal with the difficult frequencies, usually low-end and high-end, where the speaker impedance may provide a more difficult load to the amps.

I'd also suggest that that sub-woofer is a candidate for an upgrade. Go for a 12 inch sub, a Klipsch or SBS. I have the KSW-12 in my system and love it. Very impressive lows.

I don't think your DVD players has any of the issues here.

Maybe you have been a very good boy all year long and Santa is going to be VERY good to you on Christmas morning. If that is the case, I'd be looking at new speakers all the ay around and a new high end receiver to go with it all.

A new sub and a new receiver would be a good start, but before you do that, get out the SPL meter and start tinkering with what you got.

(Actually, if I were you I'd be buying a Pioneer VSX-1015TX-K and getting a great auto-equalization system and excellent power, and switching and all the latest processing protocols all in a low priced consumer box. But that's just me.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...