Use an Amplifier with Twice the Power of Your Speakers?!

#AudioUniversity

[HeyYall]

It may seem counterintuitive, but there's a widely accepted rule of thumb in the world of audio equipment: ideally, your amplifier should be capable of delivering power that is twice the rating of your speakers. But why is this?

Well, when you consider that the average home listener rarely goes beyond 70 decibels (dB) in volume, which demands a mere 2W on a decent speaker, it does seem excessive. However, this seemingly surplus power is crucial for maintaining the fidelity of the audio, particularly during demanding or dynamic segments of music.

It's essential to remember that music isn't a constant, steady signal. It fluctuates, with sudden spikes and dips in power, or 'transients'. These transients are crucial for capturing the live, vibrant feel of music, especially when replicating the impact of drums, the sharp attack of a plucked guitar string, or the full-bodied richness of a grand piano's notes.

An amplifier with a power capacity double that of your speakers ensures that it can handle these sudden demands for power without distortion, preserving the integrity of the sound, even at higher volumes. Moreover, it offers a kind of safety net, protecting your speakers from potential damage caused by overdriving.

Therefore, while the everyday listener may seldom utilize the full power potential of their amplifier, the extra capacity contributes significantly to the overall quality of the sound, providing an immersive and enjoyable listening experience.

[Molezo]

Kyle, my sound man, all the way from South Africa 🇿🇦 🙌 you are the man. I always take advice from all your videos

[eudanielramos]

Receiver working at lower power means working at lower volume? The more the volume the more the power?

[ranveersinghjabbal]

Is it necessary to go double or 20% - 30% headroom is sufficient ?

[phillipgeorge]

Could you please tell me about the sears lxi am model 4002 amplifier black face

[rudeboysw]

Always have a power amp that is capable of running you speakers RMS wattage with headroom. ie 300W RMS should be driven by and amp at least 450W RMS per channel... think car engine and cruising at 80 MPH.... both cars do 80mph but the way they do it will differ from a 1.5 ltr to a 4ltr.

[martinraj]

Rms power, continues power and program power, are they same ?

[FireMoon]

It's an amplifiers ability to drive a load irrespective of the wattage . A 50 watt amp that can drive a 2 ohm load will be able to drive a speaker far more efficiently and safely than a 100 watt amp that collapses into low ohm loads

[Heovdhaksnsbheibsjkwndj]

Hey man i fucked up and i need some advice, i found some kef 103/4s speakers for a really good deal and jumped on it, now im realising it may have been a mistake looking at the price of amps that will actually run it, they're 100w 4ohm speakers, any amp recommendations, preferably used im on a tight budget, thanks 🙏

[phillipgeorge]

I would like to know the power output of the sears lxi model am 4002 amplifier if you know of it

[dexterpagurayan]

So what's the perfect Amplifier's wattage to our speakers🤔🤔

[soumensutradhar]

Learned so much from your videos❤.
But Is there any formula to know the output power(watts) of an amp at a certain position of the volume control to run any speaker safely with enough headroom?
For example if i have to run a 8 ohms, 100 watts speaker using a 400 watts @ 8 ohms amp (to get enough headroom as you have explained), how much should I dial the volume control in the amp?

[hospitaladministrator]

All it takes is for someone who doesn’t know what the gell you’re talking about to crank up the volume in your home to blow the whole thing

[baileylukens]

I’m sorry, but this is not right. That is not a volume control, it is a sensitivity for the input. It is still capable of being driven to levels that could destroy the speaker. You’ve gotta match speakers to amps.

[phoenix_random]

But, to make the amp idiotpeoof, you must keep the amp power less than the speaker power

[yoshicrafter]

Team is NOT enjoying the amplifier with this one

[alexcenzano]

Yeah but I don’t need my system to last ten years. Plus, I want an excuse to buy a better amp 4 yrs when from now when mine dies.

[kwinzman]

That's a short that doesn't make sense on its own. When I hear what? What guideline? The speakers are not damaged when I don't exceed its limits? That's the only message?
This is not what YT shorts are made for IMHO.

[SimpleMindTv]

Do not use Power Amp that twice power of your speaker, Not only that you damage your speakers you are wasting much money for having to much extra power just use Equal or like 2% higher than your speaker that is the way to go.