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Is Yamaha A-S2100 too much for KEF Q300?

Afshin

Afshin

New Member
Hi folks,
I've got a pair of KEF Q300 speakers + Q400b subwoofer. After reading a lot about the technology of A-S2100 (balanced , using MOSFET, phono stage ...) I really like to pair it with my KEFs. Also there are some comments on Q300 which emphasis on Q300 power hungry feature. Most of dealers who I have talked about say that A-S2100 is too much for them and I just need to buy a 50 ~70 watt amp. What do you guys think about this?

BEST,
Afshin
 
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My NS-1000's are advertised at 100wpc continuous. I'm running 250wpc + amplifiers on a daily basis.Just use some common sense and don't try to crank'm to the max.
 
In my opinion. The larger the amplifier the more "headroom" the better it sounds.
 
Hi,
Thanks for the replies. They suggest Denon 520, 720 , 1520. Although there are some others Rotel R12, Vincent SV-400. Their approach is based on the size of Q300 I guess!
 
Add Myryad MXI2080, Primare i32 to the list. Unfortunately we have no access to for example Naim, Cambridge, Peachtree, Rega ...!
 
No, I have the same speakers with a Sansui AU-a607 Extra 95 watts x channel at 8 ohms, and works fantastic, much better than my previous rotel ra02
 
avionic said:
My NS-1000's are advertised at 100wpc continuous. I'm running 250wpc + amplifiers on a daily basis.Just use some common sense and don't try to crank'm to the max.
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No speaker will handle 100 W continuously Think about it. If you disagree, have your local fire dept on speed dial.
 
Lesterbest said:
No speaker will handle 100 W continuously Think about it. If you disagree, have your local fire dept on speed dial.
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I disagree, based on literature and ratings published by JBL and other sound reinforcement speaker mfgs. Reference IEC 268-5 and JBL's tech pubs on their power rating methodology.

Of course, if one defines continuous as indefinitely then you may be technically correct because I don't recall ever seeing a "forever" power rating. OTOH, if several hours or more is adequate to convey continuous rating 100W or more appears not a big pronlem to achieve.
 
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I have been running a 170 wpc amp with speakers rated for 100 wpc and it has worked out for 40 years now. The volume knob is there for a reason!
I think that Yamaha would be a great amp to have and I wouldn't be concerned about the speakers. .
 
whoaru99 said:
I disagree, based on literature and ratings published by JBL and other sound reinforcement speaker mfgs. Reference IEC 268-5 and JBL's tech pubs on their power rating methodology.

Of course, if one defines continuous as indefinitely then you may be technically correct because I don't recall ever seeing a "forever" power rating. OTOH, if several hours or more is adequate to convey continuous rating 100W or more appears not a big pronlem to achieve.
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Do this with home spkrs & write back when the drivers cook. Only sound reinforcement spkrs can take 100 W for 8 hrs.
 
The thing I couldn't figure out is the power rating of Q300. They have stated the recommended amplifier between 15 to 120W. Does that mean its rating is 120W? or it's the maximum power handling?
 
i would buy the Yamaha and not worry too much about the power output. you know how loud you can play without damaging the speakers. plus it will give you a nice platform for future upgrades in the future.
 
Afshin said:
...They have stated the recommended amplifier between 15 to 120W. Does that mean its rating is 120W? or it's the maximum power handling?
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Both, neither, maybe.

It's simply a guideline many manufacturers provide. It's not something to get too wrapped around the wheel about. From a power standpoint the Yamaha looks like a perfectly acceptable candidate to me.
 
My recollection is that Andrew Jones based his speaker ratings running them at 1/3 their rated power for 1 hours. Speaker power ratings are primarily based on minimizing returns which cost them money rather than 'real world' conditions. While the Yammie may be more power than you need, you should be fine. A Radio Shack sound meter might also be a good purchase to protect both your ears and your speakers.

Actually the Yamaha is only rated as 90 wpc continuous while the KEF's are spec'ed for 15 to 120 wpc amps, although the amp is obviously overbuilt so it will no doubt exceed its rating and have headroom to spare.

It's more money than I'd spend, but that's not my call. It's a signature piece and no doubt a future classic so knock yourself out.:bigok:
 
My rule of thumb is to have 2X the mfg's minimum pwr requirement. Better to err on higher pwr spec. However, Rule #1 - Use common sense.
 
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