Pairing Amps with Speakers

[kennyt]

Originally Posted by wes

With what is happening these days they will have a tough time!

In this country at least! The high end market is thriving abroad, partly due to the weakening dollar, partly due to the difference in culture.

[deacongreg]

Originally Posted by kennyt

In this country at least! The high end market is thriving abroad, partly due to the weakening dollar, partly due to the difference in culture.

Is that a fact kenny? What makes it different over there, than here? Culture, how so?

[kennyt]

I'm not totally clear on why, but it seems to be a fact.

[deacongreg]

Well kenny,

that is very positive.

[anm]

Hi,
I have a similar question. I need to understand how to technically pair a set of speakers with an amp. I am a newbie and low on budget. Planning to put together things one by one, over a few months.

I am looking at JBL Studio L series and JBL E series. Need to figure out how to find a matching AVR, that has enough amp power to drive a 5.1 setup. Please see my original post here - http://www.avrevforum.com/showthread.php?t=1920

Biggest question is that what should be the minimum wattage of the amp for a set of speakers? And what is the role of wattage mentioned in the specs of the speaker, besides the sensitivity?

regards

[CharlyD]

The interaction between an amplifier and a speaker can be quite complex. While speaker sensitivity is the most critical factor, parameters such as speaker impedance and phase can also be critical. The JBL's you're considering, however, have very well-behaved impedance and are easy to drive. If the speaker sensitivity is rated at 90dB/1W/1m, and you'd like to achieve a volume level of 110dB (quite loud) you'll need at least 100WPC. The easy calculation is:

Pout = 10 ^ ((dBmax - dBsens) / 10)

If dBsens (dB out at 1W) = 90dB and dBmax (SPL goal) = 110dB

Pout = 10 ^ ((110 - 90) / 10) = 100Watts