I have Klipsch Quintet III as my four surround speakers in my 7.1 set up. The specs say that they are rated for 50 watts(200 peak). I recently was able to get an open box Denon 3310 for $340, i just couln't pass it up. My mains, center, and sub can handle th 120 output of the 3310, but I am nervous about the quintet's. Do i need to go get new surrounds.
Too much power?
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Not if you be carefull and don't overdrive the speakers. It isn't so much power that blow's speakers as it is distortion. So be sensible and you should be fine. I have surrounds that are rated for 100w and the amp I use to run them does 300w per channel and I have run them that way for over a year now without a problem.
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I wouldnt worry to much, Denon's are high wattage but low current, you'll be ok.
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Current is like amperage in electricity. You need amperage to make things happen. Static electricity is about 30,000 volts but the amperage is so tiny it's harmless. Wattage is the voltage and current is the amperage.
High current amps like Halo, Krell, Classe' and other can peak at 45 amps of current. Watts are cheap to produce.
Current is like amperage in electricity. You need amperage to make things happen. Static electricity is about 30,000 volts but the amperage is so tiny it's harmless. Wattage is the voltage and current is the amperage.
High current amps like Halo, Krell, Classe' and other can peak at 45 amps of current. Watts are cheap to produce.
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Speakers are driven by current, which is why they are used with AMPlifiers...not WATTlifiers.
Okay, I made that up. Weak sauce.
Most receivers, in their quest not to explode in a fireball, limit current as the impedance goes down. That's why a really good 120 watt separate amp will play much louder than a typical Nancy-Boy 120-watt receiver, especially into 4 ohms. The reason receivers are measured in watts goes way back to the static testing of the '40s and '50s. Receivers are tested to see how much heat they can generate into a load resistor rather than how they can drive a real-world complex load like a speaker.
Okay, I made that up. Weak sauce.
Most receivers, in their quest not to explode in a fireball, limit current as the impedance goes down. That's why a really good 120 watt separate amp will play much louder than a typical Nancy-Boy 120-watt receiver, especially into 4 ohms. The reason receivers are measured in watts goes way back to the static testing of the '40s and '50s. Receivers are tested to see how much heat they can generate into a load resistor rather than how they can drive a real-world complex load like a speaker.
Ok, I'm getting what you're telling me... sort of. So are you saying that there may be some amps/receivers that have low wattage ratings that can drive speakers better or achieve louder output than higher wattage speakers? BTW, I already know this is true for some companies with questionable wattage ratings as compared to those with conservative ratings but I thought this disparity was not really a consideration with the better manufacturers like Dennon/Marantz/Onkyo/Yamaha. If this is the case, how do I tell what devices have decent current output. I had been looking at wattage, all channels driven- 8 ohm output compared to 4 ohm output- and THD as the criteria to consider for decent wattage production. Are there other telltale signs or specifications to look for or are only certain other manufacturers considered as "high current"? Thanks again.
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Ok I have a degree in electronics. Amperage is the term used for electrical current. Voltage is the term used for electromotive force. Wattage is the term used for power. Watts equals amps(current) multiplied by volts(electromotive force).
Ohm's law: I=amperes, E=volts, R=resistance, P=watts
I=E/R, R=E/I, E=I X R, P=I X E
Ok I have a degree in electronics. Amperage is the term used for electrical current. Voltage is the term used for electromotive force. Wattage is the term used for power. Watts equals amps(current) multiplied by volts(electromotive force).
Ohm's law: I=amperes, E=volts, R=resistance, P=watts
I=E/R, R=E/I, E=I X R, P=I X E
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Wattage is the product of voltage and current: P = E * I (Watt's law)
You never have too much current, because high current won't be supplied to your speakers unless they draw it, that is, unless they present a low-impedance load to the amplifier. That's Ohm's law (transposed for current): I = E/R. If "R" (resistance) is low, then "I" (current draw) will be high (to the extent that the output device can supply it). Keep in mind, though, that speaker impedance varies with frequency, and speakers' impedance ratings (typically 8 ohms) are nominal values. Some speakers can hit dangerously low impedances at certain frequencies, but few actually do.
The original question was whether his receiver's amp has too much power for his speakers, and the answer is no. Too much available power is almost never a problem, as driving an amp into clipping (resulting in wave compression and, ironically, excessive average power levels) is what's most likely to damage speakers. A big amp is less likely to clip. It's possible to overdrive speakers with gobs of clean power, but, as modern ported speakers have sensitivity ratings around 90 dB or so (typically much higher for horn-drivin units like Klipsch), it'd probably be insanely loud.
Finally, remember this: The vast majority of listening occurs at one or two watts. So relax.
Wattage is the product of voltage and current: P = E * I (Watt's law)
You never have too much current, because high current won't be supplied to your speakers unless they draw it, that is, unless they present a low-impedance load to the amplifier. That's Ohm's law (transposed for current): I = E/R. If "R" (resistance) is low, then "I" (current draw) will be high (to the extent that the output device can supply it). Keep in mind, though, that speaker impedance varies with frequency, and speakers' impedance ratings (typically 8 ohms) are nominal values. Some speakers can hit dangerously low impedances at certain frequencies, but few actually do.
The original question was whether his receiver's amp has too much power for his speakers, and the answer is no. Too much available power is almost never a problem, as driving an amp into clipping (resulting in wave compression and, ironically, excessive average power levels) is what's most likely to damage speakers. A big amp is less likely to clip. It's possible to overdrive speakers with gobs of clean power, but, as modern ported speakers have sensitivity ratings around 90 dB or so (typically much higher for horn-drivin units like Klipsch), it'd probably be insanely loud.
Finally, remember this: The vast majority of listening occurs at one or two watts. So relax.
^lol
I think i know the answer to my question now, but i am going to ask it anyways
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i am waiting on the arrival of my Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH (110 Watts x 7 Direct Energy Amplification(20Hz - 20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.09% THD - FTC)). I will be buying the SVS STS-01 5.1 speaker package here in about a month. In the mean time i plan on using my Logitech Z-5500 speakers (69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD), Maximum SPL: >115 dB, Signal to noise ratio: >93.5 dB, typical 100, Input impedance: 8 ohms).
After reading this thread, it appears as though i will be fine using the pioneer to power these speakers. Is that a correct assumption?
^lol
I think i know the answer to my question now, but i am going to ask it anyways
i am waiting on the arrival of my Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH (110 Watts x 7 Direct Energy Amplification(20Hz - 20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.09% THD - FTC)). I will be buying the SVS STS-01 5.1 speaker package here in about a month. In the mean time i plan on using my Logitech Z-5500 speakers (69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD), Maximum SPL: >115 dB, Signal to noise ratio: >93.5 dB, typical 100, Input impedance: 8 ohms).
After reading this thread, it appears as though i will be fine using the pioneer to power these speakers. Is that a correct assumption?
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I could be wrong but I think any amp that specs it's wattage at 4 ohms to be double of the wattage at 8 ohms can be considered a hign current amp.
http://www.krellonline.com/evolutionone.html
http://www.krellonline.com/evolutionone.html
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An easy rule is to look for 4u power ratings. If they don't bother to rate the amp at 4u, it's likely not going to deliver much current. A perfectly efficient amp will deliver 2x the power at 4u as it will at 8u, and those are rate. If an amp can deliver 1.5x the power at 4u as at 8u, it's a pretty good amp and worthy of consideration. Don't expect to get a "cheap" AVR with 4u power ratings.
An easy rule is to look for 4u power ratings. If they don't bother to rate the amp at 4u, it's likely not going to deliver much current. A perfectly efficient amp will deliver 2x the power at 4u as it will at 8u, and those are rate. If an amp can deliver 1.5x the power at 4u as at 8u, it's a pretty good amp and worthy of consideration. Don't expect to get a "cheap" AVR with 4u power ratings.
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