Two channels driven?

[2k2ss]

I have an onkyo 515 it says 80w two channels driven what does that mean? If its 80w for two channels how much power am i getting to each channel when i'm using 5.1?

 

[walter duque]

I have an onkyo 515 it says 80w two channels driven what does that mean? If its 80w for two channels how much power am i getting to each channel when i'm using 5.1?

If you're lucky, maybe 40 watts.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I have an onkyo 515 it says 80w two channels driven what does that mean? If its 80w for two channels how much power am i getting to each channel when i'm using 5.1?

What this means is that at full power at a specified signal frequency or band of frequencies of sine wave signal and at a specified level of distortion, the amp will deliver 80 watts each channel to two speakers.
Power to all 5 speakers will be determined what signal level is at at that particular instant in time and what level of reproduction you demand.
Chances are remote that all 5 speakers will demand full power at the same instant in time and that you demand full power from the speakers in the first place.

 

[fuzz092888]

So sound and vision measured the onkyo 509 and HT mag measured the 609.

The 509 measured in at 82 watts stereo (two channels driven) and 28 watts 5 channels driven both into an 8 ohm load. It's 80 WPC 2 channels driven.

The 609 measured in at 81 watts 5 channels driven and 77 watts 7 channels driven into an 8 ohm load. It's rated at 100 WPC 2 channels driven.

Now these are two different sources and their tests are different, but what you should take away from all these silly numbers are that with all channels driven a receiver will have some WPC drop off. How much will depend on the brand and what grade model you buy (low, mid, high) in the brands lineup.

Like Mtry said though, you'll never get all channels requiring max power all at the same time and what most people don't realize is that RMS power requirements are tiny. It's only when you start pushing reference levels with content that has big peaks do you even start getting close to those tripe digit power needs. In that case, if you're one of those people, it will become very obvious, real fast that you need more power. If you can't hear any bad noises coming from your speakers and your onkyo doesn't go into protection mode, then don't worry about the WPC.

 

[TLS Guy]

So sound and vision measured the onkyo 509 and HT mag measured the 609.

The 509 measured in at 82 watts stereo (two channels driven) and 28 watts 5 channels driven both into an 8 ohm load. It's 80 WPC 2 channels driven.

The 609 measured in at 81 watts 5 channels driven and 77 watts 7 channels driven into an 8 ohm load. It's rated at 100 WPC 2 channels driven.

Now these are two different sources and their tests are different, but what you should take away from all these silly numbers are that with all channels driven a receiver will have some WPC drop off. How much will depend on the brand and what grade model you buy (low, mid, high) in the brands lineup.

Like Mtry said though, you'll never get all channels requiring max power all at the same time and what most people don't realize is that RMS power requirements are tiny. It's only when you start pushing reference levels with content that has big peaks do you even start getting close to those tripe digit power needs. In that case, if you're one of those people, it will become very obvious, real fast that you need more power. If you can't hear any bad noises coming from your speakers and your onkyo doesn't go into protection mode, then don't worry about the WPC.

I don't think is true any longer. I have BDs here that certainly push all channels hard at once.

After a showing of Real Steel, that my grandchildren brought with them, a venerable Quad 405-2 100 watt per channel was hotter than I have ever had a 405-2 and too hot for my piece of mind. So I bought another Quad 909 (250 watts per channel) on eBay). So I know a 100 watt amp on the surrounds was pushed to the limit. So that addition pushed my total power available to 2.9 KW, so everything now chills out and is not stressed and can coast no matter what the program.

War Horse also has a huge amount of content on all channels at once in the battle scenes.

My take is that until recently the mix engineers handled the surrounds and rear backs very gently. However now the gloves are off, and there a guns blazing from all directions, with exploding shells and grenades. From an audio stand point I think the studios have upped their game many notches of late. I regard War Horse in particular as a sonic tour de force.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I don't think is true any longer. I have BDs here that certainly push all channels hard at once.

After a showing of Real Steel, that my grandchildren brought with them, a venerable Quad 405-2 100 watt per channel was hotter than I have ever had a 405-2 and too hot for my piece of mind. So I bought another Quad 909 (250 watts per channel) on eBay). So I know a 100 watt amp on the surrounds was pushed to the limit. So that addition pushed my total power available to 2.9 KW, so everything now chills out and is not stressed and can coast no matter what the program.

War Horse also has a huge amount of content on all channels at once in the battle scenes.

My take is that until recently the mix engineers handled the surrounds and rear backs very gently. However now the gloves are off, and there a guns blazing from all directions, with exploding shells and grenades. From an audio stand point I think the studios have upped their game many notches of late. I regard War Horse in particular as a sonic tour de force.

It would be interesting to analyze the signal levels in all channels to see what they are hitting and when with respect to each other. I saw that move too but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It certainly didn't seem like all channels were going close to full power at the same instants in time.

 

[TLS Guy]

It would be interesting to analyze the signal levels in all channels to see what they are hitting and when with respect to each other. I saw that move too but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It certainly didn't seem like all channels were going close to full power at the same instants in time.

Well it sure did on this rig! Cannons front back and sides. The battle scene was incredible with full seem less 360 degree imaging and depth of field.

I thought is was an amazing piece of work from an audio standpoint. Every speaker needed to be accurate and powerful. The artillery shells going over head and exploding in front or behind you was incredible.

I played it for visitors and had to warn them it was terrifying, and they still scared you know what less.