Speakers and Receivers Watts Query

[TheLastManWithBetamax]

Looking around for a receiver and speaker package, i cant help but be struck by the fact that the receivers all seem to output Watts that are greater than the speaker i can afford/like the look of.

Take for instance my choice#1 so far would be the Pioneer VSXLX70 which boasts 150w per channel
and the speakers i like - Aegis Neo Package from Acoustic Energy, whose fronts can handle 170w (fine), but whose centre and rears handle only 120.

Is this as much of a problem as i think it is or am i missing a brain cell?

Wont 150w going into 120w have a similar effect to trying to pour a litre into a pint pot?
That is the speakers overload and nasty things happen?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

TheLastManWithBetamax:Looking around for a receiver and speaker package, i cant help but be struck by the fact that the receivers all seem to output Watts that are greater than the speaker i can afford/like the look of.

Take for instance my choice#1 so far would be the Pioneer VSXLX70 which boasts 150w per channel
and the speakers i like - Aegis Neo Package from Acoustic Energy, whose fronts can handle 170w (fine), but whose centre and rears handle only 120.

Is this as much of a problem as i think it is or am i missing a brain cell?

Wont 150w going into 120w have a similar effect to trying to pour a litre into a pint pot?
That is the speakers overload and nasty things happen?

This not a problem at all. For a start, your receiver will clip before your ears explode if you turned it up too high. A speaker outputting 120 watts can be driven easily by a receiver that can issue 150 watts per channel. You are never going to turn it up even to 100 watts so do not worry.

 

[TheLastManWithBetamax]

Thanks

 

[radovantz]

What if the receiver produce more watts than the speaker maximum power, for instance, 80w amp to a 60w max speaker. Does it blow?

 

[radovantz]

Does the excess power is harmful to those speakers?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

radovantz:What if the receiver produce more watts than the speaker maximum power, for instance, 80w amp to a 60w max speaker. Does it blow?

My receiver is 100 watts per channel (7.1). My speakers are good quality floorstanders rated at 100 (maybe 120) watts per channel. I've never even got close to playing them at 100 watts. My previous speakers were Jamo satellite speakers rated at 60 watts per channel. Same receiver and again, I never had a problem whatsoever.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

radovantz:Does the excess power is harmful to those speakers?

No, there are plenty of high quality valve stereo amplifiers that are around 20-30 watts per channel. You don't get plenty of high quality speakers (if any) that are rated as low as that.

 

[radovantz]

Thank you Gerrardasnails. So my receiver is rated for 80 watts per channel, usually used at approx 70watts, it should not harm my rear speakers which are only rated for maximum power of 60watts or less. I was always thought that the speakers chosen should be greater than amplifier power.. I was just worried that small speakers may explode

 

[Andrew Everard]

No you will have no problems at all, though I doubt that you're ever actually outputting anything near 70W from your receiver, not even on instantaneous peaks in the sound.

The simple rule is that it's much easier to damage speakers by using too feeble an amplifier driven into clipping as it struggles to drive the speakers, rather than an amp apparently too powerful for the speakers.