Ok.. I need some definitive answers on this as LOST is only 2 hours away!! I really want to use my new speakers for the show!

My setup currenty is as follows (please dont laugh):
- Samsung LN40A550 LCD TV
- Altec Lansing VS3251 (http://www.alteclansing.com/images/spec/VS3251_SELL_SHEET.pdf)
- NO RECEIVER (building as I go, cant afford what I want yet)
- Running a RCA-to-3.5mm cable from the Audio Output from the back of the TV to the AUX input on the front of the Altec PSW
- The speaker outputs are on the back of the Altec PSW (L\R\C\R1\R2)
- I JUST bought a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 40's from a local guy ($110\pair!)

Here's what I want to do.. I want to unplug all 5 speakers and just plug in the Monitor 40's to the L\R channels on the back of the Altec PSW, effectively giving me a 2.1 setup. I'm not using surround anyway and I'd rather drive stereo sound with a PSW and 2 badass speakers than 5 crappy ones.

Here's my dilemma.. I've heard that you can damage speakers by plugging them into underpowered amps. The VS3251 system is rated @ 70W (25W for the sub, and 9W per 5 channels), and the Monitor 40's are rated for 20-120W.

Here's my questions..
- Am I risking damage to my freshly purchased Monitor 40's by plugging them into the L\R channels on the back of the Altec PSW and using them ONLY (no center or rears plugged in at all)?
- Will the amp drive ALL remaining 45W to the 2 M40's since it'll recognize they are the only 2 speakers\channels in use? This would effectively solve my issue as each speaker would be getting 20+W at that point.
- Do you have a better solution to my current setup and components dilemma?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me.. I have read many threads and done much googling, but I can't seemed to find an answer to my specific questions. And don't worry, I plan to get a real AVR and PSW as soon as I can afford it. :)

Thanks in advance

Here's my questions..
- Am I risking damage to my freshly purchased Monitor 40's by plugging them into the L\R channels on the back of the Altec PSW and using them ONLY (no center or rears plugged in at all)?
> No provided you do not go overboard with the volume control.

- Will the amp drive ALL remaining 45W to the 2 M40's since it'll recognize they are the only 2 speakers\channels in use? This would effectively solve my issue as each speaker would be getting 20+W at that point.
> No,each Polk will only get about 8 watts.

- Do you have a better solution to my current setup and components dilemma?
> I would just use the speakers that came with the Altec PSW until you can get the rest of the system.The Polks likely will not sound their best being so underpowered.

I am not sure what you are trying to do, my reading comprehension isnt the best. But as long as you are not distorting or clipping your speakers you should be fine. I am guessing your speakers can run as low as ten watts according to the specs. Just don't crank them into a clipping and distortion.

Well.. I plugged them in and they sounded alright. Obviously only being powered by the back of the Altec PSW isn't going to produce HQ sound. I didn't notice any artifacts that I didn't notice with the Altec speakers, so I guess that's good. They sounded MUCH more accurate and full so I'm glad I got to experience the benefits of my purchase (I just got them today!).

Anyway, I'd still like to know people's opinion on whether I should keep them connected or not.

No, again as long as you don't crank the volume control too high and send a bunch of clipped distortion to the tweeter you'll be fine. And really, quite frankly with a very low powered amp even in that state it can be difficult to blow a tweeter because even with all the added HF distortion there probably won't be a whole lot of power being fed to the tweeter and unless it's really cheap it should have good power handling, but certainly not impossible. Obviously you'll know if you're clipping because it'll sound very bad, so turn it down. But you should be just fine I wouldn't be freaking out about it, IMO you are far more concerned than you should be (which isn't a bad thing necessarily!). So relax, don't try to blast party levels out of your speakers, and enjoy your sound!

Just like what all of the others have said, don't over crank the amp power into the speakers. While not cast in stone, the amp should not ever be turned beyond the 1:00 or 2:00 position, regardless of amp and speaker power rating. The music/soundtrack dynamic range will likely force the amp into clipping the signal during various transients if you do. Clipping leads to all sorts of issues within the speaker, like heating/excessive dome & cone movement, which will blow the speaker (either right away or over time due to stress fatigue).

Do not "sweat" the minimum power rating for the speaker. It is the power required to drive the speaker at its full specifications. If you put in less power than that, the speaker will function once the minimum current is provided to overcome its internal resistance. You just will not get the sound the speaker is designed to provide. You will not overheat or generally harm the speaker when giving it power lower than its rating.

At its minimum power rating, the speaker will be rather loud at that power input, plus, say, one additional watt of input. For your situation, you are leaving yourself 4-5 watts/speaker of headroom to handle transients, etc when the speaker is being run to spec. That is not that much headroom, so just be careful not to over crank the amp.

Wait till you get a receiver.

Do not "sweat" the minimum power rating for the speaker. It is the power required to drive the speaker at its full specifications. If you put in less power than that, the speaker will function once the minimum current is provided to overcome its internal resistance.

I agree with the first part, but overcome the internal resistance? What's that all about? There is no such thing as a minimum power. We all listen to some music at ridiculously low levels of power. -40 dB on my dial means peaks of 0.005W and it sounds just fine.

I agree with the first part, but overcome the internal resistance? What's that all about? There is no such thing as a minimum power. We all listen to some music at ridiculously low levels of power. -40 dB on my dial means peaks of 0.005W and it sounds just fine.

It's just a basic electrical reference. The speaker's circuit, as all electrical circuits have, has an internal resistance to electrical flow. There has to be - some - minimum power level applied to the circuit in the speaker to overcome its internal resistance and make it nominally work - however low the resulting volume is. Anything less and the speaker will not work. The power amount needed will vary in relation to a speaker's design.

If you turn your amp all the way down to it's minimum and you can still hear some sound with your ear close to the speaker, all that means is that the amp is not attenuating the supplied power below the level needed to drive some of the speaker's elements.

It's just a basic electrical reference. The speaker's circuit, as all electrical circuits have, has an internal resistance to electrical flow. There has to be - some - minimum power level applied to the circuit in the speaker to overcome its internal resistance and make it nominally work - however low the resulting volume is. Anything less and the speaker will not work. The power amount needed will vary in relation to a speaker's design.

If you turn your amp all the way down to it's minimum and you can still hear some sound with your ear close to the speaker, all that means is that the amp is not attenuating the supplied power below the level needed to drive some of the speaker's elements.

My point remains that it is irrelevant, whether such a minimum exists or not. Speakers work with the volume dial at -80 dB. That could mean peaks less that one millionth of a Watt. I don't start at -80 dB, hear nothing until I hit -40dB or something and then it's suddenly on at conversation level. Do you?

Just an update.. got the receiver and the speakers work awesomely. I think I either got an already-worsening used center channel or that I actually did damage it running off the aforementioned ghetto setup.

Never noticed any issues whatsoever (believe I was looking\listening for them!) until about 2 months ago. I never turn my volume past -7 and usually keep it at -9 or -13. Lately I've noticed some crackling from the center channel during strikingly loud scenes (Knowing) or during badly (imo) mixed dialogue (Street Kings). I think I noticed it when it was ghetto setup, but I cant remember exactly.