DrWho Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 The 35's are only supposed to have 125w versus the 7's with 200. The 35's are only gonna be for surround duty so not used 100%, so 200w shouldn't blow these suckers? An amplifier is never putting out it's rated wattage - especially at normal listening levels. For example, with your RF-35's your amp will only be putting out 1 watt when the volume is 98dB - which is rather loud. So depending on how loud you are listening, the volume knob on your amp is essentially telling the amp how many watts to send to the speaker. The 200W rating is just an indication of the maximum continuous watts the amplifier can supply. If you ever start cranking the volume up to these levels you will notice the speaker distorting long before you cause any damage - so if you hear distortion turn it down (it'll basically sound like a farting woofer). On the other hand, if you have an amplifier capable of say only 50W, and you want to crank the volume up above 116dB, then you are going to clip the amp because 116dB requires 64W. The reason this is bad for the speakers is because a clipping amp sends out a DC signal which will very quickly destroy tweeters. The downside is that it is very difficult to detect a clipping amplifier before the damage occurs. So the general consensus is to get an amplifier that is capable of double the RMS value of the speakers - it's a bit overkill and at sane volumes you shouldn't have to worry about anything so really it's a non-issue. Just make sure the amplifier is capable of supplying enough power for the volume you listen at while also dealing with the impedance swings (which are large on the RF-7's). 200W for the RF-7's will be more than enough...I doubt you'll ever use more than 10W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiperG Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 Thanks for the answer Drwho, helps explain alot. Right now I listen to my movies with my denon 3805 about -15 on the volume. I do like watching my movies loud, but not too loud. Fortunately, my neighbors are pretty far away. So an amp that can handle alot of watts at 4 ohms should be my target? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 What's more important is to find an amp that "doubles down" into 4 ohms cleanly (and preferably doubles down into 2ohm for the RF7's). What this means is that if the amp is rated 100W at 8ohms, then it should be capable of 200W at 4ohms and 400W and 2ohms, etc etc...If it doesn't double down, then you know the amp manufacturer was doing wierd tricks with the power supply - and weird doesn't usually sound good. And this is not to say that an amp that can double down is going to sound good either. As the consumer we have to try and figure out what kinds of compromises the manufacturer was trying to make to meet the price point of the amplifier. I know that doesn't help you decide what amplifier to get, but you've gotten plenty of good recommendations. You're probably better off suggesting a few options that you deem acceptable and the guys on the forum will be real quick to mention any bad choices [] As long as you're over 100W into 8 ohms you shouldn't worry so much about the quantity, but rather the quality of those watts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 And as far as sub...what is your budget? I know it sounds like a manly insecurity thing, but really - go with the largest subwoofer you can afford...not so much driver size, but cabinet size. It has to do with Hoffman's Iron Law and the compromises that have to be made to make the cabinet smaller. The newer RT-12d subs sound like a killer match though - both aesthetically and performance wise. The new room correction dsp is supposed to be all the rage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiperG Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 As far as subs go, i want to stay around 1000. I've been looking into the svs line, and haven't really found any bad comments about them. At my local ultimate elec. they have a dedicated klipsch room, with 7's all the way around, and holy crap i've never heard music so loud, yet so clean and awesome. The setup had two monsterpower amps running the front, and not so sure about the rears. That's why I was asking about these monster amps. Not too much of a track record on these? Maybe outlaw is my answer. I'm not looking to break the bank on an amp....maybe 1000-1300 tops? And one more question....what's the difference between a pre/pro and a regular amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 1000 to 1200 for A SUB, wow, you guyes are high rollers when it comes to subs. I have a jbl 400 watt sub that list for 699, on clearence for 269, that carries my 2004 lascalas just fine. I'll be riding shot gun on this thread to see what I can learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 As far as subs go, i want to stay around 1000. I've been looking into the svs line, and haven't really found any bad comments about them. At my local ultimate elec. they have a dedicated klipsch room, with 7's all the way around, and holy crap i've never heard music so loud, yet so clean and awesome. The setup had two monsterpower amps running the front, and not so sure about the rears. That's why I was asking about these monster amps. Not too much of a track record on these? Maybe outlaw is my answer. I'm not looking to break the bank on an amp....maybe 1000-1300 tops? And one more question....what's the difference between a pre/pro and a regular amp? If you end up looking at the Outlaw amps, the 7125 would fit your budget. The 7x200 model is around 2k new. If your interested in used gear at all, I've still got my 7100 sitting around. Pretty much mint condition. Still have the box & manual. I'd probably want to get somewhere around $500 for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 1000 to 1200 for A SUB, wow, you guyes are high rollers when it comes to subs. I have a jbl 400 watt sub that list for 699, on clearence for 269, that carries my 2004 lascalas just fine. I'll be riding shot gun on this thread to see what I can learn. wow - just curious...have you ever messed around with more elaborate subwoofer setups in your home? For the longest time I passionately hated the lascalas until I heard them mated with a capable subwoofer system (the klipsch thx ultra2 setup). I think it's more a matter of the kind of music I listen too though... As far as SVS, I suppose there is nothing wrong with them...I'm not really a huge fan as I see them more as a hyped up DIY project than anything else - they are definetly on the boomy/bloated side of the spectrum. But a lot of people are happy with them (especially for movies) and enjoying a purchase is all that matters. A pre/pro isn't an amplifier...it stands for "preamp/processor" which implies that the unit functions like any other preamp, but has processing capability...which means it can decode digital signals (spdif/dolby/dts) and do all the bass management and speaker settings. You generally stick a pre/pro between your source material (dvd player, vcr, cable box, etc etc) and seperate amplifiers for your speakers (aka, seperates). If you've heard the monsterpower amps with your setup and find them more than acceptable then I see no reason not to encourage you down that path. You definetly know you'll be satisfied with them. That said, Outlaw audio is probably a decent brand to consider - they seem to get rave reviews all the time around here (I've never heard anything from them for myself). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertec Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 As far as subs go, i want to stay around 1000. I've been looking into the svs line, and haven't really found any bad comments about them. At my local ultimate elec. they have a dedicated klipsch room, with 7's all the way around, and holy crap i've never heard music so loud, yet so clean and awesome. The setup had two monsterpower amps running the front, and not so sure about the rears. That's why I was asking about these monster amps. Not too much of a track record on these? Maybe outlaw is my answer. I'm not looking to break the bank on an amp....maybe 1000-1300 tops? And one more question....what's the difference between a pre/pro and a regular amp? I own an Outlaw, and it is one fantastic Power Amp for the money, the sound is very clean and crisp with plenty of bang, check out my sig to see what it is powering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiperG Posted June 25, 2006 Author Share Posted June 25, 2006 Hey cybertec, How you like that sub? That was the one I had my eye on. SVS has alot of positive talk. And yes, I'm eyeing the outlaws, cuz they seem to be a little cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamacmil Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 How about Parasound? I think a used HCA-2205a can be found in your price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertec Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Hey cybertec, How you like that sub? That was the one I had my eye on. SVS has alot of positive talk. And yes, I'm eyeing the outlaws, cuz they seem to be a little cheaper.the sub is fantastic, the Outlaw and SVS with Klipsch make a great match, you can't go wrong, I am in sonic bliss, and I am sure you will be also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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