Receiver too powerful for speakers?

Question

I have Denon bookshelf speakers (max output 100 watt) and just bought a new Sony that deliver 110 watt per channel. Is it bad to have too much power to a speaker? Should I buy the 100 watt per channel receiver instead to match the speakers? I do notice a rattling sound in the speakers, only when watching movies though, not music. Thanks for any assistance.

Answer 1

Your Denons will be fine with that receiver. The only time that receiver hits 110 watts is just for milliseconds when it peaks. As long as it doesn't distort, you'll be OK.

Answer 2

I gotta' ask: why are you pairing Denon speakers with a Sony receiver? If you're talking about a $1000 receiver, you're okay. If you're talking a $300 receiver, well, you should return it, if possible, and get a comparably priced Yamaha or Onkyo. You'll have a lower power level rating, but it's a different type of power rating (typically two channels are used for the rating process as opposed to all 5.1, 7.1, etc.), and the 75W per channel with less THD will always outperform a 110W per channel with higher THD.

The rattling sound is amp clipping. You can attempt to control this, if your heart is set on the Sony, by utilizing the 'midnight' option instead of 'loudness'.

As for using a receiver that outputs more power than your speakers can handle, well ... that's never a good idea.

Side note: are the speakers and receiver set to the same resistance setting? (8 ohms, for example)

Answer 3

Your speakers should be OK. You should always have an amp that has a higher wattage than your speakers. This prevents amp clipping that will blow your speakers faster than a single spike.

The way amps work is, the higher you have the volume, the higher the wattage output is. Most people use only 1/2 the wattage capacity of their speakers and amps. Those who use more than that generally are trying to make a system go louder than it was designed to.


To ALL people that have answered this question, Do you work in the industry? Are you CEDIA certified? Do you know what you are talking about? A little but of knowledge can be a dangerous thing!!!

Answer 4

i bought a sony reciever before i got so fustrated with it after 3 weeks that i went and bought an onkyo reciever to go with my infinity speakers. So anyway the sony said it had 110 watts per chanel too and the onkyo said it had 75watts per chanel the onkyo was ten times more powerful than the sony. They say that they have 110 watts but thats peak its no rms like my onkyo was listed at , so you should be fine because its only 110 peak watts. its rms it probobly like 60 watts.

Answer 5

Yeah, it shouldn't be an issue as long as you watch the volume levels. All speakers and amplifiers have an RMS wattage rating and a Max wattage rating. The ideal is for the RMS and the Max for the receiver to match that of the speakers.

Answer 6

it somewhat is in basic terms a 2-channel receiver and it somewhat is 2 a protracted time previous. choose for a greater moderen AVR that has 5.a million channels and could potential 4 ohm audio device. The Bose 10.2's are 4 ohm which loads of amplifiers are no longer able to using.