Stereo speakers question?

Question

I'm trying to get the best speakers for my stereo receiver. Here are my receiver details...

Power output, stereo mode, 8 Ohms, THD 0.9 %, 50 Hz~20 kHz ....... 2 X 105 W

Total harmonic distortion, 8 Ohms, 105 W, 1 kHz .............................. 0.05 %

For safe amplifier operation, use the speakers with impedance of over 8Ohmswhen you use only SPEAKER A or B terminals and use the speakers with impedance of over 16Ohms when you use both SPEAKER A and B terminals.

What should I be looking for in a speaker?

It is a Sherwood receiver...model RX-4103.

Answer 1

For this receiver, you want to look for a speaker

system that has a "nominal impedance" of 8 Ohms

or higher. Since there are very few speaker systems

that are 16 Ohms, you only need to get 2 speakers

(if you do get 4 speakers, only run 2 of them at a time

unless you are able to somehow find 16-Ohm speakers).

Since your receiver is not really full-range as far as the

frequency response is concerned (20 Hz - 20 kHz or

wider is considered full range), any speaker system that

will play down to 40 Hz to 50 Hz in the bass frequencies

will be more than sufficient to make the most out of your

receiver. To give you an idea, many bookshelf speakers

will be able to cover the frequency response of the

receiver just fine. On the other hand, most large

floorstanding speakers will not sound any deeper in the

bass than a minimonitor speaker system because your

speakers will only go as low as your receiver, so it will

not be cost-effective to get a large speaker system.

Not knowing what music you listen to, at what level you

listen, and the size of your room, I can give you a few

choices that will match well with each criteria.


If you want a speaker that will play loud (actually, at

96 dB @ 2.83v/1m are the most efficient stand mount

monitors on the market that I've seen) and/or you have

a large room (i.e. 15' x 20' or larger), the BIC Acoustech

HT-64 bookshelf speakers will do quite well. I own a pair.


If you want a speaker that is smooth sounding with clarity

that is easy to listen to for most types of music, the

Silverline Audio Minuet minimonitors are very small, but

will cover your receiver's frequency range and is one of

the most easy speakers to drive because of its extremely

stable impedance. This is a high-end speaker system,

meaning it is capable of the highest quality of sound for

its size, using premium quality components. The price will

be relatively higher than your typical consumer electronics

speakers. I've auditioned these impressive little gems.


If you want a floorstanding speaker system (so you won't

have to put the speakers on stands or on something else)

that sounds very good with most music and not cost an

arm and a leg is the Athena AS-F1.2.


I hope this at the very least, puts you on the right road to

finding musical (and 2-channel home theater) bliss.

Answer 2

Don't buy anything less than 8 ohms, get 16 ohms if you can (especially if you plan to run both A & B terminals). However, if you plan to run just two speakers at a time, then the 8 ohms will do.

The impedance is a very common specification, so look at the back of the speaker or the product brochure or the website. A majority of the speakers are 8 ohms. 16 ohms may be hard to find.

You also want to get speakers that can handle 100W peak in case someone accidentally cranks the volume to full. But you can get lower power speakers, just be careful about cranking it all the way up.

Hope this helps! Email me if you have additional questions.

Answer 3

Hi. If you want to improve the sound of your Stereo system you have to start at the beginning .The speakers are only as good as the signal they receive from the Amplifier and the Amplifier is only as good as the signal it receives from your Source (CD Player,Turntable,Tuner.Tape Deck et.).Therefore the Source is the most important component in a music system because the information it retrieves from the software converts it into an electrical signal and sends it to the Pre-Amplifier.(or Intergrated Amplifier) The Pre-Amp is the control center -the heart of the system.The Pre-Amp increases the tiny signal from the Source and sends it to the Power -Amp.Therefore the Pre-Amp determines how the Power-Amp will sound.The Power -Amp has two jobs to do ,first to increase the small electrical signal it receives from the Pre-Amp to a larger signal that will power the speakers.Second,the Power Amp must move the speakers back and forth without adding any distortions of its own

This is where a lot of people get it wrong.They say to get new or different or more expensive speakers to "improve" the sound.Speakers can't improve the signal they receive,they can only reproduce what is sent to them.What you hear with newer speakers is a different sound but not an improved sound.High Fidelity sound reproduction is a damage control job.The various components of a sound system are like links in a chain.From the beginning of the system (the Source) to the end (the Speakers) nothing can improve the original signal.The best equipment does not degrade the signal as much as lesser equipment does .If information is lost or damaged (distorted,changed,altered ) at the source,nothing else down the chain can make up for ,or repair it.You must put something good into the system to get something good out of the speakers.

Answer 4

i agree with both answers. my question to you is you say you want the best speakers for your reciever. when the reciever you have is not that great of quality it self. you can get ok speakers but if you want good or great speakers they will cost much more than your reciever. and its not neccesarily the speakers that make the sound great, the quality of the reciever has allot to do with it aswell. and the reciever you have is pretty much an inexpensive base model. (i know i have sold many of the same model). so i think you might want to up grade your reciever too if you really are looking for good quality sound.

Answer 5

I don't like the fact you picked a Sony. That aside I recommend that you get 8ohm speakers with a high sensitivity above 93db for the best performance.

Are you going to use both A+B at the same time?