My Speakers Starving?

I’ve gotta wonder - what kind of room were you pushing your amps near 500 watts continuous?!? And can you stil hear?!!!

I now have 2 dedicated listening rooms but the room in question is 30x28 with 26 foot vaulted ceilings ,the XR-290s would have been the speaker and 500 watts isn't that loud with an 86 db speaker ,you need power to push them .
 
Well the OP has already blown a speaker, so I guess that answers the question.

Clipping will blow a speaker.
To much power into the speaker will blow it.

The thing is you can't hear the clipping when it starts, then you get a burst of musical peaks and it blows.

On the other hand over powering the speakers you don't have clipping to worry about. as soon as you start giving the speaker to much power you can clearly hear it as in distortion. Even if you start hearing distortion and peak in the music happens it will not blow the speaker. And if you hear distortion I would assume you would rather hear it sound better and will lower the volume.

And the sound quality will be a lot better with head room and reserve power though out all volume levels.
 
Dan - I have a 5W amp. Driven into hard clipping it can make as much as 10 Watts. Can I blow speakers with it?

How about a 1W amp?

A 250mW amp?
 
I now have 2 dedicated listening rooms but the room in question is 30x28 with 26 foot vaulted ceilings ,the XR-290s would have been the speaker and 500 watts isn't that loud with an 86 db speaker ,you need power to push them .
I guess... That is a large room but my speakers are rated 87-88db (differing info online) and trying to get my 9090db to the edge of clipping (which I never accomplished) drove them as loud as I could ever imagine needing...
 
If the OP's friend wants to buy the OP a new amp, I say that's a good thing! :) If the friend wants the OP to buy the amp, that's entirely different. :(
 
Hi Loss,

I hope you realize I was just having a bit of fun joking with you. That being said (once upon a time) I too listened (when I was much younger) to music at near Ear bleeding volumes.
That being said, I would just advise caution (very limited time) listening to music at TOO loud volumes. I'll be 64 years old this Summer and I want to keep my hearing! My new saying
"quality of sound over volume".

SixCats!
 
In short, Yes. Even tho they are 91db, they will open up and sing when coupled with a decent amp. I went head to head with these same speakers when I decided on the Dynaudio 82s that were just more my taste.
They sounded OK with a Hafler 9180 but were killer once I got my Odyssey Stratos+ coupled with them. (still using that combo in system #2 now with the Hafler 945 Pre Tuner)

No matter what the numbers are, they will sound better with more reserves and current and of course a little volume.

Nice speakers, good luck.
 
In short, Yes. Even tho they are 91db, they will open up and sing when coupled with a decent amp. I went head to head with these same speakers when I decided on the Dynaudio 82s that were just more my taste.
They sounded OK with a Hafler 9180 but were killer once I got my Odyssey Stratos+ coupled with them. (still using that combo in system #2 now with the Hafler 945 Pre Tuner)

No matter what the numbers are, they will sound better with more reserves and current and of course a little volume.

Nice speakers, good luck.
Yeah, I kinda figured that would be the answer:(. I can certainly understand the fact that larger separates with bigger power supplies, beefier circuitry, larger caps would drive the DM640i a lot better. That’s the reason I have had to replaced drivers in them in the past, from under powering them clipping :idea:. Looks like that will be my next investment.
The Odessey Stratos is actually affordable too! I think though to best what I’m presently using I’m going to have to go BiG or go home.

Time to start doing my homework and saving my pennies. :beerchug:

This is not a hobby, it’s an addiction!:music:
 
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That Fisher is a very nice unit. More than enough juice to drive these speakers. You could spend a chunk of money on a higher powered amp but the cost to benefit isn't really there as far as I'm concerned. Realistically, how often are you going to be listening at near red line levels?
Most people don't listen that way - the few that do might as well buy PA systems rather than refined loudspeakers. I wouldn't spend the money. Relax and enjoy your system.
 
That Fisher is a very nice unit. More than enough juice to drive these speakers. You could spend a chunk of money on a higher powered amp but the cost to benefit isn't really there as far as I'm concerned. Realistically, how often are you going to be listening at near red line levels?
Most people don't listen that way - the few that do might as well buy PA systems rather than refined loudspeakers. I wouldn't spend the money. Relax and enjoy your system.
Thank you! That’s good to hear!! I compared the Fisher specs to a lot of separates and it ran right with them in the numbers if not better. I stated in one of my responses that I’m going to have to go BiG $ or go home to best what I already have.

Ironically as I was writing this response my left channel suddenly went out listening to Wheeling Symphony Orchestra ~ Gettysburg on CD, Main Title opening. A large bass drum 6AB4505A-8306-4F49-BCA3-8A2F3634930B.jpeg hits really hard with my volume at 2:00 with Loudness ON vs SOURCE DIRECT that I usually listen to.I was sweating thinking OMG....,,OH NO!!!! Fortunately It was an small in-line 3 amp fuse I soldered in a few weeks back because the RS-Z1 lacks any circuit protection. I know I could go with a bigger fuse but would rather be safe than sorry. First time ever blowing one. Replaced fuse and back in business. At least I know they work! Just gotta watch that volume knob & Loudness control that I oftentimes get carried away with.
474C247E-0F22-4E3F-AECC-A34741FA1DE1.jpeg 72E5A4CA-B4C9-47DA-A71B-B68D165802E4.jpeg
 
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Certainly 1200 watts would represent a meaningful increase in power over the OP's reciever. But it would also represent an increase in costs - probably punishingly so, since he'd need a preamp also. Whatever limitations the reciever puts on his system would not be completely ameliorated if he used the front end of the reciever as a cost saving measure.
I'm glad Panhead enjoys his equipment, and I'm sure that there was an improvement made by the change, but not all of us either have the means, or the will, to commit so much to our listening pleasure. Especially, as is often the case, that pleasure was pretty complete until someone suggested that it shouldn't be.
 
Aside from the specs, Fisher are highly prized for their sound. There is a reason that vintage gear enthusiasts seek them out. You would have to spend a lot of money to buy a new receiver that will sound as nice as what you currently have.
 
More than enough juice to drive these speakers.
Read post #5

Just because there are big amps in homes doesn't mean it's because one wants to blast their music. It's all about reproducing the music faithfully and have the power to cover the transient peaks in the music and reserve for the next split second burst. The math is in post 5, and we have a member here that is playing the most dynamic ranged music, and doing it loudly and is having issues as well. So this amp is not covering his needs as to how he want's to listen to the type of music he is with his speakers.

And as Hyfi said above a bigger better amp will change the character of the speakers in all the volume levels. Generally a bigger amp will have the speed to control the big drivers and bass will benefit greatly.
 
There are a variety of issues that factor into the question of whether bigger is better. Certainly clipping, from a lack of power, is a bad thing. And, if I understand these things properly, if its the usual class A/B, the bigger the amp, the more power is available in class A before the transition to B, the transition being a source of audible artifacts. And it is commonly accepted (and I agree) that tube amps seems to have more oomph than equivalent rating solid state equipment. And amps interact with the complex loads that speakers present, so often results differ from expectations.
But the issue I keep coming back to is that of expense. For some people, cost is no object in the pursuit of audio perfection (regardless of whether it is an achievable goal). For most people though, bigger may be better, but it is also much more expensive. And audio perfection simply doesn't matter that much to most people, not least, because it is unachievable. Most people do want good sound, but only audiophiles are willing to spend much on it. Everyone else is willing to live with whatever 200 bucks will get you. But even audiophiles have budgets. What you already own is infinitely cheaper than the alternatives, and if you like it, blowing a fuse now and then may be fine. Or maybe turning it down just a little bit will also be fine.
If the OP decides that he doesn't want to blow fuses anymore, and is willing to save up his cash, more power to him (literally). If not, also more power to him (now metaphorically).
 
without going to far into explaining, would you plug a constant voltage signal to your speakers , a electrical power source ? with no peaks or valleys, just electricity / low direct constant ac voltage to the voice coils speaker rated at 200 watts music play / direct very loud humming electricity to all voice coils for 10 minuets straight? how about every day for 1 hour? with no heat rest time , just voltage signal. sometimes for hours straight. Now what about a higher voltage feed , but now with lower voltage cooling pauses, and even no signal at times for cooling. What is safer for the speaker. Constant voltage and heat to the VC burns up drivers. A Constant voltage signal is what clipping means, I wish it wasnt such a nice sounding word. The music dynamics turns into basic wall electricity, albeit not 120 volts but constant.
 
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