How good Is 200 watts per channel?

Question

How good Is 200 watts per channel?

Answer 1

Are all channels fully driven for that spec? What spectrum? 20Hz-20kHz I hope. What THD % ? What is the sensitivity of the speaker?  What SPL are you measuring?

All of these are much more important than wattage ratings.

Answer 2

200 watts per channel, should be enough to drive most any speaker. In fact 90% of the time, your speakers are just chugging along at a couple watts, it's only during loud scenes in movies that your speaker may require more power and even then it's very doubtful it will ever need more than 100 watts.  But this is depending on the efficiency  of the speaker, how far back the speaker is from the main sittiing position and how loud you have the volume.

I have an average size room and my amp is driving Deftech BP7001sc towers and my amp has a gauge on front that tells me how many watts are being used, and even during heavy action scenes like Lord of the Rings, I never saw that amp reach more than 80 watts.

Also remember that all you are getting by having 200 watts is just a 3db increase in volume compared to a 100 watts.  If your not noticing any distortion or crackling with a 100 watt amp, then you most likely won't notice any difference with a 200 watt amp.  But if you are noticing distortion, then having an abundance of amplifier watts is better than not having enough.

Answer 3

It really depends on the quality of your 200 watts. The most important thing to understand about an amplifier is that it is not the wattage that drives your speakers, it really is the current that is pushing your speakers.

That said, unfortunately, most manufacturers of amplifiers do not publish current only wattage are they required to post.

200 watts of high-quality, super high-current, low distortion power can be very pleasing to the ear. This kind of power can be very expensive but allows your speakers to perform more effortlessly with more dynamics and a superior sound stage.

Different types of amplifiers also contribute positively or negatively to the resulting sound. Like another poster wrote, it is absolutely true that 200 watts versus 100 watts only yields a 3dB difference in volume. To get the sound pressure twice as loud, you'll need 10x's the power.

At the end of the day, you'll want to get the best quality versus quantity. It is for this reason you'll find 200 watts from brand "A" for only $299 as an example and brand "B" may be $3000 for the same claimed wattage. It all comes to the quality of power!

Getting an amplifier that is poor quality will usually result in the blowing of your speakers.

The reason is that these amplifiers generally speaking offer high-wattage sure, but at the expense of current (remember, this is what drives your speakers) and low distortion (found on quality amps).

Distortion is the #1 cause for a blown speaker. If your amp has little current, you will crank your volume to compensate in an attempt to hear your speakers in an effortless way. Without current, many speakers will never achieve the end result the listener is search for and will end up reaching the limits of the amplifier quickly. Once the limit of the amplifier is reach, the amp will "clip" or "distort". This distortion, even at low volume levels is what ultimately will blow your speakers.

Speakers coupled with high quality power will benefit from a more effortless sound. This effortless sound is often confused for volume. The best way I can describe this is that your speakers sound full as opposed to very thin. It is that very thin sound that cause many listeners to continue to crank up the volume k**b. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Matt, I have the same towers!!!

Like Matt said, they are amplifiers not wattifiers.  It takes 10 times as many watts to make a speaker twice as loud.

Answer 5

I have a pair of Def Tech BP7002 which can handle up to 400 watts per channel and I am pushing them with 140 watts per channel with my Yamaha RX-V3800 just fine.