CAM/CAV 6.6 output wattage low

[jchomeauto]

I am looking at a Russound CAM/CAV6.6 solution with my homeseer and was researching speakers. The wattage output of these amplifers is only 20 watts.

That seems particularly low, all the ceiling mount speakers I am looking at (sized right for my rooms) start at 100 watts. The lowest I could find was 60 watts.

I was told that over sizing speaker wattage is really bad for the speakers, makes them work harder and can reduce their lifespan.

I must be missing something. Why is the wattage so low, but the industry home audio speakers rated at much higher wattage capacity?

[Uncle Michael]

Be sure the rating you are looking at is not the maximum wattage the speaker can handle. In my experience, 20W from my CAV6.6 creates sound levels that are more than enough to fill a medium size room. Of course, if you are trying to create disco level sound or you have a large room you'll probably benefit from an external power amp with higher output. But under those conditions you'll probably not be satisfied with ceiling speakers either.

[Pete]

Some 10 years ago installed 8 pairs of these speakers. I use them with the Russound and they are working well. These are rated at 250 watts peak power

http://www.pyleaudio.com/sku/PDIW62/...tional-Tweeter

Outside and garage I am using these Russound speakers and they are fine.

http://www.russound.com/product_detail.php?i=3258

[jchomeauto]

I am looking at peak power for the speaker ratings. So its ok to buy a 100 watt max rated speaker for a 20 watt max output amplifier (cam6.6) and still have it powered sufficiently to sound good?

[reidfo]

I am looking at peak power for the speaker ratings. So its ok to buy a 100 watt max rated speaker for a 20 watt max output amplifier (cam6.6) and still have it powered sufficiently to sound good?

Yes, you only have to worry about exceeding the wattage. You can always under power a speaker without damaging it or reducing its life. In-ceiling speakers also tend to take advantage of the fact that the ceiling drywall can act as a soundboard, producing a fuller sound than just a 20W standalone shelf speaker.

[Raptor]

hi,

i am running 2 pairs of these:

Product ID: 4103
6-1/2 Inches Kevlar 2-Way In-Ceiling Speakers (Pair) - 60W Nominal, 120W Max.


and one pair of these:
Product ID: 4104
8 Inches Kevlar 2-Way In-Ceiling Speakers (Pair) - 80W Nominal, 160W Max

and they sound good and plently loud when driven by my cas44 which is Watts per channel: 20W RMS into 8 ohms.

Please note that RMS is the true power of an amp, many companies show the "music power" of the amp from wikipedia:

"It always produces a higher value than the continuous ("RMS") figure, however, and so has been tempting to use in advertising. Generally, whatever the definition of instant used, distortion is also higher for an instant. For instance, an amplifier (especially a surround sound receiver), may be rated at 1,000 watts peak power, but the harmonic distortion level might be 10 percent under those conditions. Peak power is also referred to as max power or PMPO (Peak Music Power Output).[2] It is often five or six times greater than the continuous ("RMS") rating." source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_power

Hope that helps.

Raptor

[jchomeauto]

Thanks for pointing to the wiki article.

This line helped me grasp it, "so the continuous power output rating cited for an amplifier should be understood to be the maximum power (at or below a particular acceptable amount of harmonic distortion) in the frequency band of interest."

So basically at 20 watts it sounds good, but if you go above that it may sound crappy.

"The continuous ("RMS") value is also referred to as the nominal value, there being a regulatory requirement to use it."

[SN95Josh]

Exactly. You can also dive a touch deeper into the subject by looking at the DB Sensitivity of the individual speaker.

From About:
Speaker sensitivity is a measurement of the amount of sound output derived from a speaker with one watt of power input from an amplifier. Sensitivity is usually measured with a microphone connected to a sound level meter placed one meter in front of the speaker. Speaker sensitivity is used to determine the amount of power necessary to drive or operate a speaker.

Some speakers such as Klipsch, are generally extremely efficient (92-98db), thus don't need very much power to get loud, and stay clean. Other brands, such as Definitive Technology are far less efficient (82-85db), and need far more power to sound crisp at higher volumes. Neither is better. But keep in mind if you are dealing with a limited power component, it's safer to stick with higher sensitivities to maintain sound quality, avoid clipping, and speaker damage.

[Pete]

Off on tangent reminiscing today....

Yeah my favorite speaker(s) in 1979 was the Klipsch Heresy I (first gen?).

I liked that they would custom finish the speaker for you.

http://www.klipsch.com/heresy-iii-floorstanding-speaker

Around 1981 went to the Altec Lansing Stonehedge series of speakers. Think I had a 350-400 watt amp at the time.

Can't find any pictures. Basically they were simple 15" woofer with a horn tweeter in the center of the speaker.

[SN95Josh]

I Worked for a Klipsch dealer back in 02. At that point, Klipsch still allowed you to special order the La Scala, Heresy, Cornwall, and Klipschorn raw, and unfinished. After they got bought up by Audiovox, I doubt that's still true.

I still wish I would have picked up a pair of La Scalas at dealer cost...