matching power specs betwn speakers and receiver

[seventeenmonkeys]

I have a yamaha rx-v420 reciever whose specs say it delivers 65W rms and a max of 95W. i am looking in buying new speakers and am getting confused about the different ways the speakers power handling is specified. some speakers give a range to which the speakers are compatible like "15-100W". some speakers on top of this give a "maximum input power" spec also. when i went to a local dealer he was speaking in terms of "this speaker is rated at 80w" for example. what should i be looking for to match for my receiver?

[toddvj]

Where did you look at speakers? Don't worry about a speakers wattage rating. It means nothing! It's a marketing number, not anything useful. There are a lot more useful specs. when looking for speakers, like senstivity, for instance. Speakers don't have "watts." Your salesman probably didn't know what he was talking about, so he made up some number so he'd sound like he knew what he was doing.

[Colin]

Good question. In general, the more input power than a quality speaker can handle, the better made the speaker is. In the real world, it really has little to do with actual power handling capabilities. The inexpensive FM100 bookshelf models I once had, for example, couldn't "handle" more than 100 watts, yet they ran just fine with Carver's 750 peak watts. Of course, no speaker or receiver made sounds good, or is operated safely, when the volume is cranked past 3:00 on the dial or near full volume.

Rated for 100 watts or not, you can ruin your speakers and/or your 50 watt amp by pushing them like a Ferrari on a side-walk. Fifty watts, and much less, is fine for Klipsch reference models.

The objective measurements of amplifiers do little to tell the discerning audiophile how good or bad a particular receiver will sound, especially when coupled with super-efficient speakers systems like the Klipsch. The more sensitive a speaker is the easier it is drive. With speakers that can reproduce 95 dB/w/m, all that is required to make a microsecond musical peak of 103 dB in a actual listening room may be approximately 32 watts. Most of the time, musical peaks 15 dB over a typical listening level of 73 dB in a 253 square foot living room will only require about 1 watt.

The average speaker falls somewhere around 84 to 86 dB/w/m, meaning that in a real world environment, musical peaks over the typical listening level will require about four times more power, and loud peaks of 103 dB will need amplifiers capable of 103 watt bursts.

Compared to speakers of average efficiency, the result is that super-efficient speakers easily sound "loud, bright or harsh." However, with a quality built amplifier, they can also be described as "clear, clean, effortless and dynamic."

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Cornwalls & Klipsch subs; leather couch & feet up; lights out & tubes glowing!

[max_gator]

I've been wondering the same thing.

My amp is a Yamaha w/ 100 watts per channel for home theater.

I had the quintets which were "rated" as capable of handling 100 watts continuous and 200 peak.

I've gone to an SB-2/SC.5/SR-2. They vary in continuous power from I think 50 for the SC/SR and 85 for the SB. All have a peak power over 200.

Although I can't imagine turning up my system past 10 or 11 on the dial, I don't want to inadvertently damage the speakers. Should I worry about this? If so, is there a way to tell how far I can safely turn up the amp?

Thanks.

[WMcD]

Yeah, this is common question.

The initial thought is that it might be an issue like matching a physical parameter. Like putting a 42 inch waist into a size 40 pair of pants, or whether a 1/2 inch nut will work with a 3/4 inch bolt. Or even bringing 110 volt equipment overseas and plugging it into 220 volt line voltage.

But not so.

Colin certainly give a good description. The fact is that at reasonable listening levels, the amp isn't working up to max, and hence the speaker isn't working to max.

Gator wonders how to tell, and I don't think there is any scientific means.

However, my personal experience is that our ears do tell us when things are getting ragged. If so, it is time to crank down the volume.

We see these specs. They're really talking about when things are driven to within inches of their life. If you're operating at those levels, it is going to be dangerous.

It may be more easy to push things than you think. Some pop and HT sources have a lot of bass. If you push that into a small speaker where you can't hear it, and get warning signs (though you'll typically hear a click from the woofer), you might have a failure. Otherwise, your ears might well be a good guide.

Gil