Hey all,

I have a quick question about powering M3 v3's, but I want to say first how helpful the forums and website in general have been. Really good stuff.

I'm trying to determine if the receiver I'm most interested in (Onkyo TX-sr508) has enough power to drive the M3's. It's rated at 80W/channel and will only need to power 2 speakers in a stereo setup. I like the 508 because it gives me some room to grow into a home theater setup at some point, but still fits in my lowly college student budget. I'll be placing everything in a small/medium sized living room and listen to music at reasonable volumes. If more power is necessary, I can probably justify it for good sound, but I am trying to keep costs as low as possible as funds are tight.

Thanks for the help!

The Onkyo 508 is fine with the M3s.

X2.... and welcome to the forums!

If you look at the specs, they are an 8ohm speaker and very efficient, 96dB's at 1 watt. no problem.

Great to hear. Thanks for the help!

Welcome!

Yes, if that receiver has the features and price you like, you should be VERY happy with it and the M3's.

I have two Onkyo receivers (although I've also owned Yamaha, Denon, HK and others along the way). Both have been wonderful and trouble-free. I think they provide excellent value nowadays, especially as refurbs (check accessories4less.com and shoponkyo.com)

Do y'all suppose it's worth springing for the 600 level Onkyo's? I'm primarily focused on audio and have been reading that the M3's really deserve a strong receiver to reach potential. Now I'm worried that a 508 won't have what it takes.

I guess this begins my descent into feeling that it's never "good enough"!

Dub, welcome. Forget any "strong receiver" nonsense; there's very little difference in maximum power output between say the 508 and 608(about 1dB in maximum sound level, e.g., 105dB vs 104dB on brief peaks). If by "potential" is meant the potential to play loud enough to damage your hearing, a separate amplifier with a maximum output of hundreds of watts should be considered.

I wouldn't upgrade from the 508 unless there are specific features (like pre-amp outputs) that you think you might need in the future. I don't think going from the 508 to the 608 is meaningful, but I haven't studied the features closely.

Accessories4less has it for $209.99 plus shipping, which seems like a pretty good deal.

If I was still a college student, that's the one I'd get. It's hard to find any decent used gear that cheap, and this one has all the codecs and switching you'll probably need for quite a while.