Power Hungry Speakers

nniemiec

Active Member
If you had to pick up an amp for a pair of inefficient 4ohm sealed speakers (Epi 202 in this case) what are the cheap vs. better options (not best, can't afford that) for a used amplifier to power these? Someone told me my wimpy Yamaha amp is not good enough. Not sure if I believe that, but anyways, curious what the modest upgrade choices are & what you think the measurable gain is?
 
Don't be afraid to look at a "pro" amp like a Crown or Ashly.

EPIs are very transparent speakers. You need good clean power more than you need a lot of power.
 
It seems like your Yamaha has dynamic power rated down to 2ohms (https://content.abt.com/documents/9654/RX797_bro.pdf) and should be just fine ... and doesn't seem to be wimpy at all.

If you really wanted to upgrade and liked your Yamaha's sound, you could look at Yamaha separates. The smaller ones are cheaper, the bigger ones are more expensive. The C-50/M-50 might be a good middle ground?
 
If you had to pick up an amp for a pair of inefficient 4ohm sealed speakers (Epi 202 in this case) what are the cheap vs. better options (not best, can't afford that) for a used amplifier to power these? Someone told me my wimpy Yamaha amp is not good enough. Not sure if I believe that, but anyways, curious what the modest upgrade choices are & what you think the measurable gain is?
Don't let what someone else told you about your Yamaha receiver. Judge for yourself after all you're the one who's going to be listening to the system not them. If you have to stress out the receiver to get to the sound levels you want then you will likely benefit from a more powerful amplifier but keep in mind that you would really need a big jump in watts to make a real difference. Are you dissatisfied now or are you in doubt because of what someone else said? :idea:
 
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If you had to pick up an amp for a pair of inefficient 4ohm sealed speakers (Epi 202 in this case) what are the cheap vs. better options (not best, can't afford that) for a used amplifier to power these? Someone told me my wimpy Yamaha amp is not good enough. Not sure if I believe that, but anyways, curious what the modest upgrade choices are & what you think the measurable gain is?
As you listen to your EPI 202's, periodically feel the top and sides of your Yamaha. What you are checking for is if you notice a definite heat increase. If your Yamaha runs just warm to the touch and doesn't heat up much more than that after playing the EPI's for awhile, you should be Ok. Above all, you want to ensure that you are not overheating the amplifier section in your Yamaha.
THEN check to see if you think the Yamaha has what it takes to make those EPI's sing.
The advantage you'll get with a sealed enclosure is a nice, tight, well defined bass.
If the rear of the Yamaha has RCA jacks labeled "preamp out" then you can use your Yamaha as a preamp, and purchase a professional power amplifier, like Crown, Ashley, Sampson, Crest, QSC, Ramsey, BGW, etcetera. Gitar Center or Sam Ash would be two good places to get more information on those.
 
Case temp of Yamaha would be fine at up to 130f, IMHO.

Agreed, some of my amps can run pretty warm when cranking the tunalidge, but I must admit many of my speakers are also 4 ohm.

The little Kenny running the Heresys never gets more than a little warm, even at concert levels lol.
 
Epi's are about average by todays standards for sensitivity. I wouldn't want to push more that a 100 watts total for short Burts. Peaks of very short duration possibly a little more. Crown can be a little hard and austere with some speakers, I would select Hafler or the B&K stereo amps. Never buy a B&K receiver whether two, 5 or 7 channels. They all will fail. Some of the first and second generation lower powered SS Marantz amps sounded good. Sansui if you can find one are pretty mellow if working right. Older Yamahas are OK the new ones get edgy and more irritating as they become newer in age. Most guys can hear well above 6 or 7 Khz so I guess Yamahas don't bother them. They bother me. Some of Denons older stuff could be OK some not so much. Take your wife along, she'll be able to tell the difference.
 
That's interesting, I've never known any amplifier, regardless of brand, to get "newer with age." o_O

:D
P.S. I know what you meant, I just couldn't stop myself. :bigok:
 
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