How much power do I really need

Why do you think you need more power?

I just asked a auestion. Relevant factors include speaker sensitivity, speaker impedance, desired SPL and distance from the speakers.

nobody can help you without an understanding of what you did and what about the results confuses you.

What results do you not understand? Did you look at the table relating SPL to known sounds below?

I think THX says to provide 105 dB/spkr peak SPL at the listening position. Personally, while my system will do that, I do not want to be in the room. 100 dB is probably not an unreasonable target for peak SPL. I listen much quieter, probably 70 - 80 dB, as it's loud enough for me and I need my ears.

Another useful couple of factoids is that a 3 dB increase in SPL sounds to most of us like a small bump in volume ("turn it up just a hair") and requires twice the power to the speakers. Boosting by 10 dB sounds twice as loud and require ten times the power. It takes a lot more power to make a sonic (audible) difference.

In any event you should try with your AVR first before deciding you need more power. Some do, but my impression is that most folk buying power amps would be better served spending the money on movies and music.

IMO - Don
Edited by DonH50 - 2/4/13 at 6:55pm

Your Yamaha is only rated for 95 watts/channel with two channels driven. The Salk ST is pretty inefficient, rated at 88db/watt. Salk also recommends minimum 80 wpc for the speakers. Looking at the light weight of the receiver means that the power supply is pretty small. So the Yamaha would not be a good match if you want to drive the speakers more than a moderately loud level, probably maximum 102 dB at peaks or 92dB at normal volumes before the power supply runs out of power in two channel mode. The yamaha will probably deliver only 50 wpc in multi-channel mode so right there you do not even meet the miminum requirements that Salk recommends. The speakers is also rated at 4-ohms which puts the amplifier under greater strain when driven.

That 105 dB is peak level, which not even occurs in all movies. Most speakers will distort a lot at that SPL and that's what is unpleasant, not the loudness per se.

I've found the peak levels unpleasantly loud in many movie theaters, not just in my home.

How loud do you need to go? Is your Yamaha even rated to do 4 ohm loads? I'm sure it will do it, but it might not like it. It has been MY experience that MY set-ups sound better with an external, more powerful amp compared to using just a receiver. I DON"T believe all amps sound the same either, but this isn't the time for that discussion. I have noticed more of a benefit at lower listening levels(80-85db) then using the external amps to blast my neighbors. When you get your Salks, drive them around for a while. If you can't play them loud enough without clipping the amp or sending your Yamaha into protection, then it's probably time for a more powerful amp or receiver. Amps are CHEAP these days. Find yourself a used beast from a view years ago for cheaper then you can get an Emo amp even. YMMV

I knew that , added the word "peak" in my post.

I have heard systems that produce 110 dB+ with <1 % distortion (my current system will not) and over about 100 dB it starts to get painfully loud to me, distorted or not. Distortion usually makes it worse, natch.

To the OP: Why not call or email Jim Salk?

+1

Or post in the Salk thread and ask people with STs in an HT what they use.