Overpowering/Damaging RSX-4's with new receiver?

[jsarich]

I am interested in purchasing a new receiver, but all receivers that have the features I am looking for seem to push 100W+ of RMS power to all channels.



Can one of the Klipsch experts let me know if I am in-danger of damaging the speakers when the RMS rating is more than double and close to triple the RMS rating of the speaker (50W RMS for RSX-4, and 75W RMS for the RCX-4)?



I don't know when the RMS power rating is reached (at which volume level), but I would hate to turn the system up to a level that I want to listen to music/movies and have the speakers melt.



Any advice you can give would be fantastic.



I am interested in the Pioneer VSX-1018AH-K receiver. I sit roughly 12-15 feet away from the front RSX-4 and RCX-4 speakers.

[dgoreck]

I would think you will be fine. It is better to have extra clean power, then not enough power and clip the amplifer. The wattage output is relative to the actual level of the content and the volume control. You could theoretically side at max volume all day with no input, and your putt out no wattage... make sense. The RSX-4's can handle 200W peak. Even with you playing them 50W continuous, you would be around 106db i think if your at 90db sensitivity. So unless your playing your soundtrack at rock levels all day long... just my thoughts. Anyone else want to chime in and confirm for me? :-)

[SoundTowne]

Right on dg. Definitely set the reciever to small speakers (High Pass Filter). Doing this will dramatically increase their power handling. We put 100WPC on them all the time and have never had a failure.They are a nice sounding little speaker. I A/B ed these against a Paradigm compact speaker and the Klipsch blew them away hands down.

Todd

[jsarich]

So the interesting thing (to me) is that I got a sound meter, and had to turn the volume up louder than I normally do (more than 1/2 of full volume) to register 75db on the sound meter from 15 feet. I thought these speakers output 90-94db with only 1 watt of power? What am I assuming incorrectly?

[dgoreck]

Speakers are rated normally for the sensitivity @ 1meter, or 3 feet. If you move 6 feet away, I think you loose 6db (inverse square law, distance from source doubles we lose 6db). So at 12ft, your down 12db, and at 24 ft is 18db down.

75db(your reading)+12db(distance loss @ 12') = 87db(at speaker). That is roughly your 90db sensitivity with some room for error...how do you know what wattage your putting out???

I would start at the 3' distance and see where your volume knob needs to be to reach the 90-94db.

Interesting none-the-less.

[jsarich]

I don't know what the wattage is. But if the speaker is rated at say 90db sensitivity (@ 1W, 1meter), I find it strange that I have to turn up the volume more than 50% on a 110W per channel receiver to get that 90db sound out of it. Is there just a specific frequency where that sensitivity rating was measured? I am just trying to wrap my head around it. Thanks!

[Islander]

I don't know what the wattage is. But if the speaker is rated at say 90db sensitivity (@ 1W, 1meter), I find it strange that I have to turn up the volume more than 50% on a 110W per channel receiver to get that 90db sound out of it.

Keep in mind that the volume control is not like the gas pedal on a car, which allows the engine to put out whatever power is available at that rpm.

The amplifier can only amplify what it's being fed, so when it's getting a relatively low-voltage signal from a turntable cartridge, for example, the volume knob may have to be turned up as much as 20dB higher to get the same volume level as you'd get with your CD player.

If you get a chance to see an amp with power meters working, it's a real eye-opener. Most of the time, the amp's only putting out fractions of a watt. The volume controls are not linear. Setting the volume to "5" on a scale of 10 with a 110Wpc receiver does not necessarily mean it will put out 55 watts.

Speaker sensitivity figures are obtained by feeding the speaker a signal at a level of 2.83 volts, then the sound level at a distance of 1 metre from the speaker is measured. The figure obtained in a typical listening room will often be 2dB or more higher than the figure produced in the manufacturer's anechoic chamber.

Try checking the sound level 1 metre (or 3 feet) from the speaker and then from your listening position and see how much it drops off. At any rate, if your system plays loud enough to make you happy, that's good enough.

[jsarich]

Agreed!

I am most concerned with hurting the speakers. The volume at which I listen to system never approaches 90dB from my listening position and so far I have heard no degradation of sound performance at any volume level. So I guess I shouldn't worry. Please understand that I see 50W RMS power handling from the speaker and a receiver that claims 130W per channel and it freaks me out a bit to think of destroying these speakers...which I absolutely love (and can't find anymore...in silver).

[willland]

Get the RSX-5's for the front and use the RSX-4's for surrounds. Look at this add:

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542199797

Bill

[jsarich]

Thank you for the link!

I already have (7) rsx-4's in silver and love them.

The rsx-5's had almost identical specs (minus power handling and sensitivity), but were quite large to have sticking off the walls.

But now I know where I can get replacements should any of mine fail.

[oldbuckster]

I think under-powering is a bigger problem than over-powering .. or you never have too much power, just not enough power .. EH !!!!

[Bill H.]

JS,

Welcome to the Form....................many years ago I started with the Klipsch Quintets which are about the same size as your RSX 4's............and it only

took me about Six months before the Dreadful "Upgrade ites bug" got to me......................

You should be fine..............relax and Enjoy.......................