2205AT 220 wpc amp with 200w CSi5

buccidiego

If I connect my Center Speaker CSi5 (200w) to the external amp 2205AT of 220 wpc at 8 ohms, would I blow it up??? Can I reduce/modify the power for that channel?
Apologize for the basic question...

buccidiego

Another option would be to connect the CSi5 directly to the AVR which output is 110wpc. Any comments?

flyfisher

I am not sure, but i though an under powered speaker has more of a chance of being damaged at higher volumes.

Maybe someone will have the correct answer soon.

tonyb

flyfisher wrote: »

I am not sure, but i though an under powered speaker has more of a chance of being damaged at higher volumes.

Maybe someone will have the correct answer soon.

True...as to the OP, you'll be fine, adding more power than a speaker is rated at won't hurt it. Hook 'er up!! Let me add though, just because you have it hooked up to an amp,doesn't mean you can turn the volume way up, keep it real, as in before the 12 0'clock position on your volume knob.

quadzilla

I run my CSi5 @ 450 watts. It's been like that for a year. But I also don't max the volume. And like FF said, you're real problem will be clipping, not running an amp rated @ 20 wpc more than the speaker.

cstmar01

correct higher power will not normally damage the speaker. I have some 200 watt rated speakers running at 300 watts and they are just fine. its normally being underpowered is the problem.

buccidiego

Excellent....I'm going to plug the CSi5 to the external amp then......
It's great to have this forum available!! Thanks everybody for the prompt answers.

tonyb

Do us a favor my man, after you get it hooked up, listen for awhile,come back and let us know any differences you hear, if any, to the sound quality. Some other newer members may benefit from your experience.

buccidiego

I also have 2 RTi8 being used as rear speakers. Those are 250 watt rated speakers.
From your answers above, running the speakers over the rated power shoudn't be an issue, provided that you don't go way up with the volume...
Should I bi-amp the RTi8 then?, using the 200wpc of the 2205AT + the 110 of the AVR?
Would it be beneficial for the overall sound quality?
Or if I run them only with the 200wpc of the external amp 2205 would be just fine?

I'm making this question because I'm installing those rear speakers right now and if I wanted to go bi-amp I will need to get an additional 150 feet of 12 gauge speaker wire....

What do you think?

buccidiego

I'll do that TonyB. The amp is arriving next week and tha receiver the following week...
I'm installing wire right now.....

cfrizz

You will be just fine without the extra wiring to run all of your speakers off of the amp.

I have all of mine running off of a 405wpc Sunfire and they all sound terrific.

yepimonfire

buccidiego wrote: »

If I connect my Center Speaker CSi5 (200w) to the external amp 2205AT of 220 wpc at 8 ohms, would I blow it up??? Can I reduce/modify the power for that channel?
Apologize for the basic question...

the amount of loudness at even 100w would be so loud you could barely handle it so no, the extra headroom of the amp will improve your sound, heres how it will go most likely, the loudest amount of loudness you could handle even uncomfortably would be about 98dB, which is what a 50w input would give you at 3m, since each increase of 3dB = 2x the amp power, that means if you were listening to music with a dynamic range of 6dB which is common for most "pop" music unfortunatley, your speaker would be getting 50-150w of power, unless you put your speaker outside and plan to entertain an entire outdoor audience, your never going to use all that amp power without losing your hearing.

gogunbaba

I blew the tweeter in my CSI5 with an emotive XPA-5 (200W PER CHANNEL @8 Ohm).

It could be done, with that ,it was 100% my fault. I did not properly set up my receiver. I cranked up the treble settings to +8 and also raised the highs in equalizer settings. Then, played Transformers 1 in HD and cranked it up to 0db.

live and learn....

Now, I run Audyssey

yepimonfire

dude at 0dB thats a full 200w gain, can you still hear?

quadzilla

Ran my RTi12s at 1K wpc for a while. 109 db at the listening position at -3db on the meters. The rule is for a doubling in apparent loudness, you need 10 times the watts. That would seem to be accurate, as 100 watts gives me about 100 db at the listening position, with 1000 giving me about 110 (10 db is equal 1 bel, which is a doubling in loudness). And yes, I can still hear.

yepimonfire

damn dude, your nuts! and the rule is not like that, each 3dB is a double increase of amplifier power, say your speakers sensitivity is 89dB, want to listen at 92dB average? you need two watts, although at the low end this is not practical because even the worst compressed music has a DR of 6dB, and at at 2m, the sound intensity is about 1/2. ahhh it's a bunch of complicated math and physics, but either way, to the OP, running a 50,000w amp will not ruin your speakers without deafening you first, you can safely reach 129dB before they blow, and thats above the threshold of pain.

buccidiego

thanks for your valuable comments...

quadzilla

yepimonfire wrote: »

damn dude, your nuts! and the rule is not like that, each 3dB is a double increase of amplifier power, say your speakers sensitivity is 89dB, want to listen at 92dB average? you need two watts, although at the low end this is not practical because even the worst compressed music has a DR of 6dB, and at at 2m, the sound intensity is about 1/2. ahhh it's a bunch of complicated math and physics, but either way, to the OP, running a 50,000w amp will not ruin your speakers without deafening you first, you can safely reach 129dB before they blow, and thats above the threshold of pain.

This is simply incorrect, and rather wildly so. See this link: http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/voltageloudness.html

And the db/watt numbers your citing are based off 1w/1m. The numbers I cited were from the listening position, where I got 109 db at about 3.5 meters from the speakers w/ 1000 watts input in a room, not an anechoic chamber. And at 1000 watts, I blew the upper mid driver because Polk designed them in a cascade configuration, meaning the upper driver is producing 3 db more than the lower driver, and so received twice the power of the lower driver during that time. I was just amazed it didn't toast the entire speaker, since it's rated @ 500. And it's why I backed them off to 850 wpc.

yepimonfire

thanks for the link

buccidiego

the amp arrived....I'll start the connection and ask in case of any questions!

flyfisher

buccidiego wrote: »

the amp arrived....I'll start the connection and ask in case of any questions!

Hope you enjoy your amp and le us know how it goes:)