When is more power not needed?

[eclimax13]

over the last few weeks ive been throwing the idea around of adding more power to my ht system...right now im running 200wpc at 4 ohms which for the most part the speakers are rated for....but im constantly suggested to throw more watts at the lsi's by the polk forums, yet polk themselves have told me there will be no difference other than volume which i have plenty...
so now we have the emotiva sale which is tempting me for the xpa5 which will deliver 300wpc...so basically when is more power wasted money?
also if i were to do this i would move the rotel down to the living room and give my energy's 125 wpc which have an efficiency of 93db...at this sensitivity would i even notice the added amplification?
when i upgrade i like to get a 2 for 1...meaning when i upgrade my home theater room i move the old piece to the living room and that gets an upgrade

[audiophile8]

why would you want more power? do you feel something is lacking? i agree that more power is only gonna give you more volume. if you dont have a gigantic room then i dont see the point, 200 watts is plenty. it amazes me the amount of people that buy multiple amps, especially emotiva, for little rooms. sometimes it looks like a contest to see how many amps you can fit into a room. to each their own i guess.

[eclimax13]

some have said more power with give a better sound field and be more dynamics....seems that when playing at reference level "0" the sound gets a little bright

[28BlusLater]

More power will give you a more rounded sound, better dynamics, and more detailed sound. You don't want to give your speakers TOO much power, because they can blow, I know it's unlikely, but giving a speaker lets say 1000 watts when it's recommended power is 400 watts can be bad.

I just remember back when I had just a simple AVR without an amp and comparing it to the XPA-5 that I have now. BIG difference...night and day...

It sounds better at louder volumes, but sounds incredible soft. It's more detailed, midrange is better, bass gives a much better kick, and the highs are much more crystal clear.

So basically, as long as you're not giving speakers WAY OVER recommended power, the more power the better. Going a bit over is fine though. (Ex. Giving my Def Techs 200 watts from my XPA-5 when the recommended power is 150.) However, like someone else on here has said, if you're in a small room it's not needed.

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by audiophile8

why would you want more power? Do you feel something is lacking? I agree that more power is only gonna give you more volume. if you dont have a gigantic room then i dont see the point, 200 watts is plenty. It amazes me the amount of people that buy multiple amps, especially emotiva, for little rooms. Sometimes it looks like a contest to see how many amps you can fit into a room. To each their own i guess.

Sad, but true. LOL

[audiophile8]

28blus, you are completely wrong about too much power blowing speakers, it is the complete opposite actually. how would having more power get rid of the bright sound you are hearing?? i looked at your pics and your room is not big at all. you are fine with the amp you have. i would suggest playing with your speaker placement and doing something about the walls being so bare because im sure you are hearing alot of reflections. do you know what kind of decibel range you are listening at if you say you hear this at "0" "reference level"??

[Musical]

It's not the wattgae you need but rather the Current Current tills the wattage how to act and how to work, Emotiva always rate's the wattage but never tells you the Current of any of there amplifiers. I would just stick to on what you have.

[sandman922]

Originally Posted by audiophile8

why would you want more power? do you feel something is lacking? i agree that more power is only gonna give you more volume. if you dont have a gigantic room then i dont see the point, 200 watts is plenty. it amazes me the amount of people that buy multiple amps, especially emotiva, for little rooms. sometimes it looks like a contest to see how many amps you can fit into a room. to each their own i guess.

i would rather have more power than you need and not have to turn it up to reference level to enjoy what ever your listening to and still have some head room but that's just me

[28BlusLater]

Originally Posted by audiophile8

28blus, you are completely wrong about too much power blowing speakers, it is the complete opposite actually. how would having more power get rid of the bright sound you are hearing?? i looked at your pics and your room is not big at all. you are fine with the amp you have. i would suggest playing with your speaker placement and doing something about the walls being so bare because im sure you are hearing alot of reflections. do you know what kind of decibel range you are listening at if you say you hear this at "0" "reference level"??

Both MartinLogan and Definitive Technology told me that giving too much power and having it cranked too loud can push the woofers too hard and could damage them. 2 major companies told me that. Emotiva told me that, as well. They said if it's not TOO loud then I'm fine, but if I crank it, the woofer will get damaged in my Def Techs. I know that giving too little power is much more likely to damage the speakers, but giving too much and playing too loud can damage the speaker, as well.

My room is tiny, I can't fit my ML Prefaces anywhere else except where they are. They sound great to me and everyone else that has heard them in my room.

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by 28BlusLater

Both MartinLogan and Definitive Technology told me that giving too much power and having it cranked too loud can push the woofers too hard and could damage them. 2 major companies told me that. Emotiva told me that, as well. They said if it's not TOO loud then I'm fine, but if I crank it, the woofer will get damaged in my Def Techs. I know that giving too little power is much more likely to damage the speakers, but giving too much and playing too loud can damage the speaker, as well.

My room is tiny, I can't fit my ML Prefaces anywhere else except where they are. They sound great to me and everyone else that has heard them in my room.

I'd be more concerned with my ears than speakers when playing audio too loud.

[Big Daddy]

I think people are getting confused around here. You have to distinguish between the maximum capability of the amplifier and how much power you are giving to your speakers at any given time by turning the volume up and down.

Let's assume you have speakers that are rated at a maximum capabilty of 50 watts. It is perfectly safe to use an amplifier that is rated 1,000 watts per channel. An amplifier like that has plently of reserve power and will never clip because of power limitation.

FAQ

Q. Does this mean that as soon as you connect this amplifier to the speakers, the speakers will blow?
A. Absolutely not. At any given time at normal listening level, you are probably using a few watts. Occasionally, during a peak, the amplifier may be required to provide more current for a second or less. A big powerful amplifier will have enough reserve power to provide what is needed. A weaker amplifier will not have enough reserve power and will clip (will go beyond its capability). Clipping will not instananeously damage the amplifier or the speakers. However, if it happens periodically over a certain time period, it may cause damage to the amplifier and/or to the speakers.

Q. Can you damage the speakers with a 1,000 watt amplifier?
A. Yes, if you turn the volume up and make the drivers go beyond their capability and over-extend, you can certainly damage the speakers.

Q. Can we damage the speakers by turning the volume down?
A. NO. I don't know where this idea has come from. Everytime I hear it, I suffer from acid indigestion for the next 24 hours.

Q. Can you damage a 50 watt speaker with a 20 watt amplifier?
A. Yes, you can. If you turn the volume up enough, the weak amplifier will not have enough current to provide and will distort. It may not damage the speaker immediately, but if it happens a few times, it will.

Q. What is the most important culprit in causing damage to the speakers?
A. That damn

[Show spoiler]VOLUME dial.

It makes the amplifier and the speakers go beyond their capability.

VuMeter1.gif

Q. What is the solution?
A. Pass a law and make it illegal for anyone under the age of 25 to own a receiver or amplifier.

[eclimax13]

oh good...i just made the cutoff by 2 years

[sandman922]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I think people are getting confused around here. You have to distinguish between the maximum capability of the amplifier and how much power you are giving to your speakers at any given time by turning the volume up and down.

Let's assume you have speakers that are rated at a maximum capabilty of 50 watts. It is perfectly safe to use an amplifier that is rated 1,000 watts per channel. An amplifier like that has plently of reserve power and will never clip because of power limitation.

FAQ

Q. Does this mean that as soon as you connect this amplifier to the speakers, the speakers will blow?
A. Absolutely not. At any given time at normal listening level, you are probably using a few watts. Occasionally, during a peak, the amplifier may be required to provide more current for a second or less. A big powerful amplifier will have enough reserve power to provide what is needed. A weaker amplifier will not have enough reserve power and will clip (will go beyond its capability). Clipping will not instananeously damage the amplifier or the speakers. However, if it happens periodically over a certain time period, it may cause damage to the amplifier and/or to the speakers.

Q. Can you damage the speakers with a 1,000 watt amplifier?
A. Yes, if you turn the volume up and make the drivers go beyond their capability and over-extend, you can certainly damage the speakers.

Q. Can we damage the speakers by turning the volume down?
A. NO. I don't know where this idea has come from. Everytime I hear it, I suffer from acid indigestion for the next 24 hours.

Q. Can you damage a 50 watt speaker with a 20 watt amplifier?
A. Yes, you can. If you turn the volume up enough, the weak amplifier will not have enough current to provide and will distort. It may not damage the speaker immediately, but if it happens a few times, it will.

Q. What is the most important culprit in causing damage to the speakers?
A. That damn

[Show spoiler]VOLUME dial.

It makes the amplifier and the speakers go beyond their capability.

Attachment 26805

Q. What is the solution?
A. Pass a law and make it illegal for anyone under the age of 25 to own a receiver or amplifier.

thank you for your wisdom and wit as usual big daddy

[28BlusLater]

Originally Posted by Hammie

I'd be more concerned with my ears than speakers when playing audio too loud.

Haha that's true too.

[poogie]

Originally Posted by Musical

It's not the wattgae you need but rather the Current Current tills the wattage how to act and how to work, Emotiva always rate's the wattage but never tells you the Current of any of there amplifiers. I would just stick to on what you have.

I=P/E. The formula tells me that Current (I) is directly proportional with Watt (P).

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Musical

It's not the wattgae you need but rather the Current Current tills the wattage how to act and how to work, Emotiva always rate's the wattage but never tells you the Current of any of there amplifiers. I would just stick to on what you have.

Actually, you mean the voltage the amplifier is able to provide. Voltage is the potential energy. Current is the flow. Once current flows through the circuit, work (Watts) is done.

Current and Watts depend on resistance.

V = I × R or I = V/R or R = V/I

P = V² / R or P = I² × R or P = I × V

Since P = V^2 / R, it can easily be calculated that 2.83 volts into an 8 ohm load is equal to 1 watt.

P = (2.83)^2 / 8 = 1 Watt