A good Wattage output for a Receiver?

[Automission]

I was wondering, what is a good wattage output for a receiver? I only ask as several seem to supply it at a range of 100-130w, while most speakers require between 50-300w. Surely a 130w receiver will fail to power the speakers to their best ability then?

Can anyone suggest a fairly good budget receiver, which provides a good Wattage output? My budget is around £500 for the receiver.

[SmilesLots]

Chances are your ears would rupture at over 100 watts per channel, or be severely damaged. In "normal" listening situations you rarely actually use all those watts. Kind of like horsepower in a car engine.

I have a Denon 3808ci feeding a Klipsch RF-83 system, and probably use about 1 - 5 watts at a normal and somewhat loud level. It's those peaks that pop up once in a while that take the watts, but usually only briefly. Many folks here seem to like the Onkyo's - 605, 805 etc.

[Johnny Vinyl]

I've never had an issue with my configuration:

Yamaha Receiver: 130w/pc x 7 channels
Totem Sttaf Towers: 20-100 watts
Totem Mite Bookshelfs: 20-80 watts

One might say that my speakers can't hande what the Receiver is capable of and that's true. However, I will never utilize the receiver to its full power capacity. I've never once had issues with distortion or clipping.

[Automission]

So if I were to get an onkyo 606 with 130 watt output, and speakers such as these, http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/produc...ge=2&product=5 It would be okay?

On a side note, how are those speakers? Are they good enough for use, or not recommended?
(sorry I'm trying to set up my first ever home theatre and I know very little about the tech so far)

[Galley]

Volume is logarithmic, so a double in volume requires a 10x increase in wattage. A 100 watt system is only twice as loud as one that is 10 watts. As I understand it, more wattage allows for better recreation of lower frequencies.

[Beta Man]

published wattage outputs are very "fuzzy" to say the least.....

One company's "80" is another's "100"

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

published wattage outputs are very "fuzzy" to say the least.....

One company's "80" is another's "100"

Not so much in the UK, where the law states (or it used to) that amplifier ratings must be continuous RMS into 8 Ohms at 1KHz. Other specs may also be supplied but that basic one must be provided, so that consumers can compare apples to apples.

To answer the OP: an amp's power is no indication of quality, and it's usually safer to over power speakers than it is to under power them.