Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions power rating on speakers

what exactly are the power rating on speakers for, for eg if the power rating on the speaker is 100W nominal to 300W max., can it be driven safely with an amp rated at 85Wpc without damaging the amp/speaker at normal volumes without trying to clip the amp !!!!
in a nutshell,
1. what is the relationship between power rating of the amp and the speaker?
2. Why do we need amps with higher power?

They don't matter.

1. The speaker power rating is there in case someone tries to drive a cheapass 50 watt rated speaker with a 300 watt amp. This way, the companies aren't liable. (yes, I made that last bit up). They really, really don't matter.
2. Higher power=somewhat higher max volume (not a 1:1 scale by any means...)=better advertising=higher price.

Of course I'm not a cynic!

Seriously, an amp with 85 wpc should be just fine with just about any speaker out there. Where you really have to watch out is if you have a low powered amp and you try to crank the volume too much. This causes clipping, which toasts speakers nicely. And quickly.

clipping is not good at all

get the most powerful amp you can afford. 85wpc is beautiful for Axiom speakers unless you have very large rooms.