Amplifier for center channel speaker--Polk LSiM706C

[MarcT]

Any suggestions for an amp to drive this speaker. I'm currently powering it with my Denon AVR-X5200W AVR. I thought I read at some point that the impedance drops to 4 ohms or less at certain frequencies with this speaker.

I've recently been cranking up the volume a bit higher while watching movies, to try to at least partially replicate the theater experience. Somehow, I'm suspecting that this speaker might be happier with a dedicated, more powerful amplifier, given that the center channel carries so much of the content. I've been using the ECO mode, as this AVR gets very hot with the ECO mode turned off. Thanks for any suggestions, or let me know if the 5200 has enough power and it won't make any difference.

 

[Bear123]

Make sure Eco mode is either switched off manually or set to Auto and that it turns off when you turn up the volume. Otherwise, you are limiting your AVR to around 30 watts if I remember correctly. Hardly what you want for spirited movie sessions!

Found the article about eco mode:
"With Eco mode engaged, it limited power on the bench to 20 watts/ch no matter how many channels were driven."
Audioholics review of Denon AVR

I did compression sweeps with Eco mode on with my Denon AVR and it caused massive distortion/clipping(at high levels), not *just* power limiting…...

As far as whether your AVR has enough power, that depends on your distance to the center channel and at what MV level you want to listen. Chances are, your AVR has plenty of power to driver your center channel into massive distortion and compression before the AVR runs out of power.

 

[MarcT]

Make sure Eco mode is either switched off manually or set to Auto and that it turns off when you turn up the volume. Otherwise, you are limiting your AVR to around 30 watts if I remember correctly. Hardly what you want for spirited movie sessions!

Found the article about eco mode:
"With Eco mode engaged, it limited power on the bench to 20 watts/ch no matter how many channels were driven."
Audioholics review of Denon AVR

I did compression sweeps with Eco mode on with my Denon AVR and it caused massive distortion/clipping(at high levels), not *just* power limiting…...

As far as whether your AVR has enough power, that depends on your distance to the center channel and at what MV level you want to listen. Chances are, your AVR has plenty of power to driver your center channel into massive distortion and compression before the AVR runs out of power.

Thanks! That article was for the AVR-X3300, but I guess the AVR-X5200 ECO Mode output could be similar. I'll pick up a set of cooling fans and turn off ECO mode and see how it sounds when cranked up.

With regard to your power sweeps and associated distortion with ECO mode, do you know if those effects from ECO mode are also present at the pre-outs? I ask that because I'm using a separate power amp for my front L/R speakers.

 

[Bear123]

My guess would be that pre-outs would clip much sooner since they clip when the internal amps clip

 

[MarcT]

Turns out that I had another set of those cooling fans already here, so I have them on top of the 5200 and turned off ECO mode. I don't have any measuring equipment, but I've turned the volume up quite a bit and the center speaker seems to have plenty of power, sounds really good.