Center channel with higher watts RMS

[mikea423]

Hi,

I am buying my first set of home theater speakers where I will be buying each speaker separately instead of all together as a package. It will be a 7.1 setup.

I am looking into the Klipsch Reference 25 series (RB-25, RC-25, RS-25). The receiver I was looking to get has 110 watts per channel. All of the speakers have an RMS of 75 watts except the center channel, which has an RMS of 125 watts.

What I don't understand is how it will work when the center channel is so much higher in watts than the rest. Will I have to turn down the center channels levels so that it matches the rest of the speakers? Should I downgrade the center channel to something that has closer watts to the rest of the speakers?

Also, if I have that 110 watt * 7 reciever hooked up to the 75 watt RMS speakers would I be able to damage the speakers if I turned the volume up all the way?

Thanks

 

[Az B]

The power handling of a speaker is really a pretty useless spec.

What really matters is efficiency. If your speakers can provide 90db @1watt (and that's a pretty average number) then you can easily make over 100db with 100 watts.

As far as one being louder than another, that's what the setting on your pre/pro reciever are for, so you can balance the setting to have your speakers running about the same speed while listening from your chair.

 

[mikea423]

Thanks for your response.

What about my last question: "Also, if I have that 110 watt * 7 reciever hooked up to the 75 watt RMS speakers would I be able to damage the speakers if I turned the volume up all the way?"

Thanks again

 

[Leprkon]

I'd say the odds of damaging your speakers (along with your hearing, your electricity bill, and possibly blood reserves within your brain) will depend on the use. In movies, each speaker is rarely driven to full all the time. Your speakers would probably handle typical surround sound spikes very well, but not a full load. Imagine grabbing a hot pan. You can do it for a second or two. You just can;t hold on to it for very long without hurting yourself.

The advantage is that, by having an overpowered amp, any "spiked" signal that comes out is likely to be very clean, even if loud. It's much worse to have an underpowered amp at full volume, because much of what it produces is noise, rather than signal. Noise is much more damaging to speakers than loud clean signal.

If you run a lot of music, especially SACD or DVD-A, all the speakers get a full load all the time. This would be like holding on to that hot pan. You will probably end up with crispy critters (speakers, hearing, electricity bill and blood reserves within your brain).

Happy bleeding.. err listening.

 

[forcedinduction]

Speaker Recommendation

I bought a very similar system to what you're saying there. I would recommend buying the RF-15 floorstanding speakers over teh RB-25 bookshelf speakers. While the bookshelf speakers may cost a few dollars less, you must still purchase stands which put the total cost of owning the speakers very close to being the same. I also did extensive listening tests and found the RF-15's more pleasing in sound than the bookshelf variety. I only have a 5.1 setup but this is my equipment:

Denon AVR-484 Receiver (upgrading to 3805)
RF-15 mains (dual 5.25")
RC-25 Center (dual 5.25")
RS-25 (single 5.25", dual horn)
RSW-8

I have a small room and the 8" sub works well, I'd go with the 10 if you have a larger room.

I hope I have helped.

 

[mikea423]

Thanks both of you, you both helped. I will be listening to almost entirely movies with them, and I'm sure I'll never turn it up all the way. I was just curious if they accidentally got turned up all the way by someone.

forcedinduction, I am going to look into those rf-15s, thanks.

 

[Votrax]

Like the others have said the power rating has nothing to do with the output level of the speaker. The sensitivity rating of the three you mentioned are withing 2dB so you won't have that great of a sound difference between them. As long as you're not clipping the signal 110 watts into those speaker won't hurt them. I've pushed 300 watts into my 15 year old speakers rated 150 watts max for several minutes with no problem.