Speaker Wattages

[Jameshillyer]

Hi guys, have two questions for you. I am completely unsure on what to search for on these 2 subjects, but here goes...

The first is, I was thinking of getting something like the Denon 4306 that everyone here is raving about but I noticed it only puts out 130wpc. Now I know that's pretty cool, but I have a set of 300W speakers I want to connect to it, so my question is how do I use the 130watts out of the receiver, but somehow get 300watts to my speakers.

The second one I have half convinced myself of the answer, but it ties in with the first question. The two 300w speakers I have for the front would somehow need to be powered up, but I also have 2 150w speakers for the rear. Now I am guessing you would have to use some post-receiver amplifier to boost up the sound, but I don't want 300w going to my rear speakers and blowing them apart.

Can anyone give me some info or links to other posts explaining this please.

Thanks in advance, Jimmy

 

[jcPanny]

Watts

That Denon is a powerful and capable receiver. Unless you have inefficent speakers in a huge room, you will be using a fraction of the Denon's 130 Watts most of the time. Thus, you don't need 300 Watts to drive your 300 Watt speakers. If you find the mains lacking, you can use the Denon's pre-amp outputs to use a 2-channel amplifier for the mains and let the Denon power the center and surround channels.

Converning amplifier power, it takes double the power to produce a 3dB (small audible) increase in volume level. It takes 10 times the power to double the preceived volume level.

Post some specifics on your speakers and your room for more feedback.

 

[MDS]

The 300 watt rating of the speakers is the maximum wattage that they can handle, not how much they need. Even when you have the receiver turned up very high, you will not be sending a constant 130 wpc to the speakers. It will only approach 130 wpc during large peaks in the music. 130 wpc into any reasonably efficient speaker (say 85 dB/1W/1M sensitivity) will be extremely loud.

The rear speakers are simply connected to the rear speaker terminals of the receiver in the same manner that the front and center channel speakers are connected. Again, music is time varying and you will only rarely be sending a full 130 wpc to ANY of the speakers. You have no worries with that receiver and speaker combination.

 

[markw]

don't get too hung up on those "power rating" numbers.

They are arbitrary "maximum power handling" numbers and, even then they tend to be somewhat meaningless. That's like having a car that "can" go 180mph when you'll never realize that potential in the real world.

These figures have no bearing at all on how loud they can play withput distorting.

What you DO need to be concerned is matching the volume levels of the speakers which will not be difficult once you master the menus of your receiver.

 

[Jameshillyer]

Massive thanks guys, cleared all that up for us, I was really starting to get worried, especially not wanting to blow up speakers.