Drunk jam sessions likely 105 to 115 dB in my experience. As was said, too much power is fine, too little sucks. I'd get 200 watts minimum, and a good pro audio amp is cheap and reliable for this. Or if more bucks are available you could go with new Hypex or Purifi class D.
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how to choose an amplifier
- Thread starter TSK
- Start date
I realize the room isn't excessive in size, but if the goal is to have playback at sustained levels over 100dB, I think he will need to rethink the speaker choice. I can't imagine those vintage ESS speakers being happy at those levels for any length of time.
notsodeadlizard
Senior Member
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- Feb 18, 2023
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I've looked at helpful hints...
That's bad luck, man.
And in general, where are the measurement results of these ESS speakers, here is a forum of audio objectivists!
(I'm just kidding)
Look for any used normal decent brand integrated stereo amplifier with an output power of up to 100 watts.
Cambridge Audio, NAD, Rotel, whatever.
It should not be very old, not older than 10 years for example.
You do not need anything more right now.
That's bad luck, man.
And in general, where are the measurement results of these ESS speakers, here is a forum of audio objectivists!
(I'm just kidding)
Look for any used normal decent brand integrated stereo amplifier with an output power of up to 100 watts.
Cambridge Audio, NAD, Rotel, whatever.
It should not be very old, not older than 10 years for example.
You do not need anything more right now.
- Thread Starter
- #24
All these responses to my newbie questions are simply awesome. To provide more context, I am building a 300 s/f man cave in a basement with 7 ft ceilings. It will have an all-in-one A/V setup for in-home use with family and friends. Everything will be controlled by a mixer board: TV, karaoke, vocal mics, instrument line cables, vintage turntable and cassette deck. I want all cordage hidden behind walls in conduit, so am trying to anticipate my needs in advance. My two main speakers are vintage 6 ohm 275w speakers that I bought new in 1976. I have planned extra lines for rear speakers and maybe a sub or two. These extras can be active or passive.
Just an FYI: the two specs that you quote about your speakers are two of the least important specs that a manufacturer may provide.
Speaker impedance is given to offer a glimpse into what type of load a speaker may put on an amplifier. That said, the actual impedance of a speaker is a complex number that is also not static. The impedance is different at every frequency. Typically a published impedance is a minimum impedance, but not always and without also knowing the phase characteristics of the speaker the number doesn't really tell us much.
Power ratings in consumer speakers is typically more of a marketing thing than an actual spec. Most quality hifi speakers can happily work with amplifiers of 200 watts or more playing music. Just don't drive them into distortion. If the sound starts to get hard, brittle, or obviously distorted, turn it down or damage to your speakers will occur.
If you want to know how big an amp you will need or how loud a speaker can get in a given room what you care about is the speaker's sensitivity. This is the SPL output with a given power level. 1 watt at 1 meter is almost universal. Some will use the voltage equivalent for 1 watt into 8 ohms which is 2.83V. This is more precise and removes the speaker's impedance out of the equation.
In one of your posts you mention a 90dB spec. Let's Assume this is accurate. It seems reasonable as these speakers were slightly more sensitive than many of today's audiophile speakers.
A pair of 90dB speakers in a room the size you are describing will be able to give you about 110dB peaks with a 200wpc amp. I would be concerned about damaging the speakers if you don't use a limiter on your mic feeds.
Personally I think you would be better off with different speakers, but if these are what you have and what you want to use, you can make them work. The speakers will likely sound strained when pushed and without subwoofers may not give you the sound you are looking for.
A note about amplifier power. Pushing a smaller amp harder will be more likely to damage your speakers than using a larger amp with ample headroom. As has been pointed out, you can get close to the same SPL with a 50 or 100 watt amp, but the likelihood of clipping is much higher and an amp driven into clipping will fry your tweeters.
Speaker impedance is given to offer a glimpse into what type of load a speaker may put on an amplifier. That said, the actual impedance of a speaker is a complex number that is also not static. The impedance is different at every frequency. Typically a published impedance is a minimum impedance, but not always and without also knowing the phase characteristics of the speaker the number doesn't really tell us much.
Power ratings in consumer speakers is typically more of a marketing thing than an actual spec. Most quality hifi speakers can happily work with amplifiers of 200 watts or more playing music. Just don't drive them into distortion. If the sound starts to get hard, brittle, or obviously distorted, turn it down or damage to your speakers will occur.
If you want to know how big an amp you will need or how loud a speaker can get in a given room what you care about is the speaker's sensitivity. This is the SPL output with a given power level. 1 watt at 1 meter is almost universal. Some will use the voltage equivalent for 1 watt into 8 ohms which is 2.83V. This is more precise and removes the speaker's impedance out of the equation.
In one of your posts you mention a 90dB spec. Let's Assume this is accurate. It seems reasonable as these speakers were slightly more sensitive than many of today's audiophile speakers.
A pair of 90dB speakers in a room the size you are describing will be able to give you about 110dB peaks with a 200wpc amp. I would be concerned about damaging the speakers if you don't use a limiter on your mic feeds.
Personally I think you would be better off with different speakers, but if these are what you have and what you want to use, you can make them work. The speakers will likely sound strained when pushed and without subwoofers may not give you the sound you are looking for.
A note about amplifier power. Pushing a smaller amp harder will be more likely to damage your speakers than using a larger amp with ample headroom. As has been pointed out, you can get close to the same SPL with a 50 or 100 watt amp, but the likelihood of clipping is much higher and an amp driven into clipping will fry your tweeters.
- Thread Starter
- #26
UPDATE, if anyone cares: I found a Yamaha A-S301 200w two channel amp at the Goodwill for $35. They are still sold new for $350 and mine is in pristine condition. It appears to have been made specifically for my kind of use to drive anything EXCEPT multi channel home theater. Thanks to everyone for the advice.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
Ditto... what he said.
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