How many watts?

[Mrgooch]

After all your years of experience and having the opportunity to hear many receivers.How many watts per channel could you really live with if you had to?

 

[bolly]

depends on the sensitivity of the speakers mrgooch, mine being mid to high 90dB's, I'll probably never use 10watts!

 

[Rybeam]

I think 40-50 watts gets that extra snap in the sound that we are after.

 

[cabinover]

If using Ohm Model 4s, 250 watts I can live with.

Cornwalls or Altec 604s I could live with a couple.

 

[x_25]

My speakers are 89db/w/m and I am running a 35wpc receiver (Realistic STA-85) if I had any more watts everyone else in the house would probably shoot me.

 

[gearhound]

Again, depends on the speakers.
My KLH 17 speakers sounds aces with a 20wpc Superscope receiver.

Steve

 

[Mrgooch]

Remembering the past.In the glory days of audio,the amps and receivers were mostly in the 15-50 watt range.In my neighborhood anyway!

 

[Paul C]

Rock bottom, 30 wpc.

But I like having 60 - 80 watts.

Everything above 60 watts, to me, is gravy.

 

[Alaric]

My speakers are 91db efficiency-my amp probably never gets past the 35 watt peak/25 watt continuous in class A-but I'd like a pair of MC501s......

 

[Danger Boy]

i could live with 50 to 75 wpc as long as it could run a 4ohm pair of speakers with ease. 87db

 

[deeder7001]

I think I could live with 50 wpc. I usually notice I use about 50 wpc at a bit more than listening level but not "loud" or full blast.

 

[DSChamber]

I'm living with 35 wpc in the livingroom via my Pioneer SX3600 running through a pair of HPM500's and its more than enough for that room. Could probably get away with maybe 20wpc...

In the basement bar I have 40 wpc Yammie CA610 running through a set of Pioneer CSJ835's and that's quite alright.

Also in the basement bar my Akai AM2600 pushes out 60wpc running into a set of Optimus T120's and the Akai can easily rock them...

It all depends on the room and speakers...

But I would love to get a real good set of speakers and throw a monster amp at 'em just to see what happens

 

[p. rex]

I can settle for 30wpc, but why bother when 120 or more can be had for so little (with a killer 4-gang tuner and versatile preamp functions and such)? There is something to be said for a power amp that doesn't even have to try to crank out your tunes.

To directly address the question, I use 89db/w sensitive speakers, and the 28wpc Kenwood I was using did just fine. I couldn't DJ parties, but I've got the G-8700 for that, so it's all good.

 

[ozmoid]

As so many have already said, it really depends on the speakers' efficiency.

That said, to answer your question: Too many!

 

[ugornot]

30 wpc in living room. 200 wpc in bedroom. The Cerwin Vegas will get louder than the infinity's in the bedroom. But I would consider CV's in the bedroom to be rather crude.

 

[targeteye]

Less and Less the longer i'm in this hobby.

 

[ccheath]

15wpc with hearing aids. 120wpc+ without.

 

[Mark W.]

My speakers are 91.5 db and or normal loud listening level is running 2-15 watts Show off loud runs around 20-30 watts anything above that is to damn loud for our 13' X 23' Living room.

 

[bowtieman427]

Depends on my mood. My speakers are 104 db @ 1w/1m sometimes I crank them with a Pioneer SX-1050 120W/channel sometimes with the Fisher 400 30 W/channel. :thmbsp:

 

[jeffn]

I just set up a system for a girlfriend. (THE girlfriend I should say).
It was a NIKKO 4030 receiver and a pair of Realistic Nova10's.
The NIKKO is just 18wpc I think. It went loud enough but was fatiguing to listen to up loud. I think the smaller units don't have enough damping factor or something....... they seem to "lose it" way before they reach clipping.
(listen to me......... trying to sound like an expert...... haha)