Advice on amplifier

[Kishore0416]

Hi Everyone, hope you are safe and sound.

I need an expert advice here. I have an audio demo at my showroom. I am going to put stereo demo with denon link hs2 as pre amp and crown xls 1502 as amplifier. Few speakers i have can be used with amp till 300w at 8ohms but few need a small amp. Can i pair a speaker recommended to use 20 to 200w amp with 300w amp. If yes, what precautions should take to keep the speakers intact. Thanks in advance.

 

[slipperybidness]

Rule #1, if you hear distortion then turn down the volume immediately!

Running speakers from an underpowered/inadequate amplifier tends to be much more problematic than running speakers with more amp power. When an amp clips, that is massive distortion that can quickly ruin drivers.

I do believe the Crown XLS line has a "soft clipping" feature which should make speaker damage less likely, and I think they may even have "soft clipping" lights to let you know when that happens.

In general, a higher power amp tends to be more about dynamic headroom. There is a good chance that most amps will be running at just a few watts at any given "normal" volume and set of speakers. But, you want that power in reserve when the music or movie calls for it.

 

[Kishore0416]

Thank you!!

 

[lovinthehd]

You seem to have some misconceptions about the relationship between a speaker's ratings and an amp to use it with....for example, pretty much any speaker can be used with the XLS amps....it's just a matter of setup and judicious use of the volume control....

 

[Kishore0416]

Can you through some light on volume control....how can i know if i shouldnt go beyond this volume for a specific speaker?

 

[lovinthehd]

Can you through some light on volume control....how can i know if i shouldnt go beyond this volume for a specific speaker?

Generally if it sounds bad, turn it down. Don't try to set spl records at a drunken party is something to avoid, too. Its just common sense really. The speaker will use whatever power it requires (it's not a full time draw of the amp's max) at the volume you set.

Try this article perhaps https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/truth-about-matching-amplifier-power

Play around with one of these to get an idea of the relationship of power to spl at a given distance from the speaker http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html

 

[Eppie]

Can you through some light on volume control....how can i know if i shouldn't go beyond this volume for a specific speaker?

Look up the speaker's sensitivity rating and max power handling and then use the splcalculator linked above to calculate what the SPL will be at the max power the speaker can handle. You can then use an SPL meter app on your phone (or purchase an SPL meter) and measure the volume level during demonstrations. If the speaker has a high sensitivity, most people will find that the volume at max power is too loud to be comfortable any way. These are just general guide lines. Rely on your ears as well, as speaker break up amplifier distortion is usually audible.