Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Amplification Question

Pardon my ignorance on the question below as I’m fairly new to this:

I had a question on pairing amplifier with speakers. Every speaker comes with a max and min amp power rating, for instance the M50ti has a max amp power rating of 200 watts.

Does this mean that a powerful amp of say 225 or 250 watts cannot be paired with the M50ti or is it simply not recommended as a more powerful amp is simply not recommended ? I thought having more power in reserve helps play music at lower distorted levels.

No, it does not mean that. Max wattage figures for speakers are -><- that close to meaningless. UNDER powering speakers is much more likely to harm them. Someone with a better understanding of this will be along shortly and explain it in great detail.

The more the merrier they sometimes say.
Someone other than me can explain why but I would not hesitate to "overpower". Just use discretion with the volume control.....

Brit, as Craig indicated, the power ratings given for speakers are rarely anything to be concerned about. In theory the maximum would represent the power that could be input continuously without the speaker going up in a puff of smoke, but commonly the number given is conservative and the speaker actually was able to take more in a torture test. Keep in mind that at a comfortably loud average level speakers use about 1-2 watts and only on split second peaks is power likely to approach 100 watts. Even a thousand watt amp therefore wouldn't place the speaker in any danger. No, having even more power than necessary in reserve doesn't audibly help with distortion or anything else. Unused power is simply that; unused.

I would agree with you if you just listen to Classical music. But I think with HT and Heavy rock music you are completely incorrect.To me, having the extra power is day and night. A strained receiver will sound distorted.