Ordered the LX505 for 750 bucks brand new (Switzerland) and am curious to test it soon. (Gotta make sure the baby is out of the house, though)
It's a pity that the amplifier was not tested in a realistic setting.
+2 dB setting?
20% above rated max output power for prolonged time?
I'm bad at the math, so I used this tool:
120W of power with 86dB sensitivity at 3m listening distance outputs 97dB SPL (100dB close to a wall as it usually is)
That's insanely loud and already close to the level you could ever hope to reach as an absolute maximum peak at reference level (0 dB setting, 105dB peak!)
(But this happens incredibly rarely and only in a tiny handful of movies where the maximum range of dynamics is actually used... and never for anything more than a short burst!)
So, what's realistic?
I usually watch movies at -20dB when I'm alone. -30dB with my family.
When I was younger, I would go to -10 dB to get the house shaking ( 2 x SVS PC12-plus subwoofers in a 4x4m room, sad to see them go when I "grew up", though) during "the incredible Hulk" or similar.
But never in my life would I dare go to 0 dB... Especially not since they actually found that loud noises are perceived as even louder in "small" rooms. The academy actually recommends -6dB for "reference level experience"...
Anyways, let's assume the crazy guy stills drives a -10dB
at 89dB sensitivity with my speakers: (and 3.2m distance like I have)
I would only need 20 W of power to reach 95dB peak SPL... (probably even less, because the speakers are within 2ft of the corner.. small European living rooms..)
That sounds about right and realistic. (Since I have a potent Yamaha Stereo Amp with VU meters, an UMIK-1 and a digital SPL meter from Voltcraft to play around with)
If the amp turns out to struggle with my B&Ws (my Pioneer SC-LX57 never had an issue), I can always just feed the signal to my Yamaha Stereo Amp (it can work as a power amp), but I'm really not worried, here.
There has to be a reason why they put that gigantic power supply in there.