Would the Behringer EP2500 have too much power for these?

[Inertia]

Just read a post that the EP2500 has 450 watts into 8 ohms.... Would that be too much power for these speakers:
http://www.klipsch.com/products/details/rf-82.aspx
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/Image-Series/Image-T65-Tower
http://www.axiomaudio.com/m80.html

Should i stick with a Behringer A500?

 

[Patriot]

Not if you don't distort the signal. You can safely use more power than the speakers call for if you don't abuse it. I run the 2500 into my sub which is rated for less than what the EP gives it and it sounds great but with that kind of power you just need to use common sense.

 

[Inertia]

I don't understand how home audio amps work. I know with car audio there is gain settings on the amp. I understand the common sense part on not turning the gain up too high on car audio amps, and than the volume on the receiver. But i am not even sure how volume would be controlled or if there is a gain knob on home theatre amps run through the Onkyo receiver.

 

[Davemcc]

The EP2500 has gain control. Many of your questions may be answered here: http://www.behringer.com/EP2500/index.cfm Take note that it does have a built in fan. I doubt the fan would come on in normal listening with an 8 ohm load, but if you were to really drive it, you might hear it and find that it's a distraction. Hopefully, somebody that has one will chime in about how often and how loud the fan operates.

Once you calibrate each speaker in your system, the gains should not be moved. Small adjustments to each channel can be made in the receiver and master volume is done by the receiver.

For the record, the EP2500 will power just about any speaker you care to imagine. There's no real need to limit yourself to just a few brands of commercially available speakers with this amp. Go out and shop a great variety of speakers and pick the one that most closely suits your favorite sound. But really, choose your speakers first then decide how to amplify them. Depending on the speakers you choose, you may not need an amp at all, never mind an amp with the insane power of the EP2500.

 

[Inertia]

Thank you for the post. One more question.... how do you know where to set the gain?

 

[avaserfi]

The EP2500 fan runs constantly regardless of load present. If this is an issue it is farily simple to change out the fan with Digikey part number P9739-ND. If one does not want to do such a mod a high quality pro amplifier can be had from Yamaha for slightly more. This unit has more a fan that will only turn on in extreme situations (never in reasonable home use). These Yamaha amps are the P****S line.

Any of these amps will provide more power than a loudspeaker would ever need in a home environment.

 

[Davemcc]

Thank you for the post. One more question.... how do you know where to set the gain?

That will be determined by the speakers you choose, the room size and configuration and the relative level of the other channels you are matching them to. You can calibrate the system using the auto setup features found in many receivers or you can manually calibrate using a hand held SPL meter. Setting the gains may be a bit of a trial and error process until you find the right balance for your system in your room.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I am lost, in one of your thread you are "all out" on the PSBs and now on this thread, you are on Klipsch.

 

[Inertia]

I would prefer to just use audyssey. Would i set the gains to 12 o' clock position and than run the audyssey auto setup?

 

[Davemcc]

I would prefer to just use audyssey. Would i set the gains to 12 o' clock position and than run the audyssey auto setup?

Maybe to start. Like I said, trial and error. If the Audessey gives you some whacky readings like Front L/R -12dB, Center and surrounds +12dB, then you will have to adjust the gains and rerun Audessey until settings settle into a normal range.

 

[Inertia]

Thank you for all the info.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Pick out your speakers before we start calibrating an AVR that you dont have yet. I doubt that you will even need an amp in the end. Take the advice from your other thread, pick out speakers and then get a good AVR like the Onkyo 805, Denon 3808 or a Yamaha RX1900 and see how it works. You can always add an amp later on.

 

[Davemcc]

Pick out your speakers before we start calibrating an AVR that you dont have yet. I doubt that you will even need an amp in the end.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh wait, I think I already did in the other thread.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

LOL....

Maybe we should tell him about Integra.....

I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh wait, I think I already did in the other thread.

 

[Davemcc]

LOL....

Maybe we should tell him about Integra.....

Perhaps not...

 

[Inertia]

Integra? Sorry I am lost.

 

[Haoleb]

Regarding the gain knob... Most people do not understand that the volume knob or gain knob is really sortof irrelevant when it comes to how much power your using. You could turn the volume knob up to max and if the input signal is low enough you could still be using less than one watt. At the same time you could have the volume knob nearly down as far as it would go and you could still drive the amplifier to its maximum power if the input signal was big enough.

You could get a gazillion watt amplifier and hook it to speakers rated for 10 watts MAX and as long as you dont turn it up past the speakers limits (which you would hear) there will be zero problems. Without getting into details on how volume knobs and preamps and amplifiers work and so on, The basic answer is to buy as much power as you can afford. But buy a quality amplifier. There are more to amplifier specs than wattage ratings. And many specs are not published such as how efficient the cooling is and how robust the power supply is. The majority of mass market consumer level amplifiers have power supplies which i believe are severely lacking.

 

[fmw]

I would prefer to just use audyssey. Would i set the gains to 12 o' clock position and than run the audyssey auto setup?

Think of the gain controls as a balance control. Their purpose is to match the output of the channels to each other. Either use a test tone and voltmeter or use them wide open (the way consumer amps are run.) I don't know whether the Behringer amps have heat sensitive fans or not so the fans may run all the time.

And finally, yes, it is way, way, way, way more powerful than you need for any normal home audio application.

 

[poutanen]

Hell, I was using a behringer A500 to power my mains, and they got well over 100 dB at the seating position. Mind you my mains are/were 99 dB sensitive.

The EP2500 might be overkill in most situations.

As for gain, I set my A500's to just before 12 o'clock on the gain, and then let the Yamaha YPAO adjust accordingly. It was pushing about 7 dB above the rest of the system, but that's fine because the A500 starts to introduce a little white noise the further you turn the gain.

 

[Davemcc]

Hell, I was using a behringer A500 to power my mains, and they got well over 100 dB at the seating position. Mind you my mains are/were 99 dB sensitive.

So you were using a grand total of 1 watt per channel to accomplish that, maybe 2 watts depending on your seating distance. It's not exactly an argument in favor of using an external amp. I hope the OP is listening.