What to expect from Rti 150s with new receiver

acm91962
acm91962 Posts: 7
edited November 2009 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
I just purchased a Marantz SR 8400 7.1 on e-bay for $250. to replace an Onkyo TX-SR 501 5.1. I have Polk Rti 150s and Velodyne 10" sub. The Onkyo delivers 50 watts per channel, the Marantz delivers 110 watts per channel. The Rti specs indicate speakers take 50 to 500 watts. Questions: 1. Will there be a discernable difference with the Marantz ? Should I consider an additional amp to get 500 watts per channel ?
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  • WesKParker
    WesKParker Posts: 43
    edited November 2009
    I imagine that the general answer to this question is that any Polk tower speaker would prefer more power, and will sound better with it.

    But, going from a TX-SR501 to a SR8400 is a considerable jump in amplifier quality and size, so i would guess the best bet would be to try it out and see if the improvement is enough for you.

    but keep in mind, even as respected as marantz is, the claimed 110watts is fairly unrealistic and would not be comparable to a quality 2x100 separate amplifier.

    Maybe a pair of marantz MA-500 (125W) or MA-700(200W) just to run your mains would be a nice improvement, if you were looking for suggestions. I would estimate that the MA-500 was in the ball park of double the power of the mains outputs on the sr-8400. (I'll qualify that with the fact that i have no scientific data to support that claim, it's just a guess.)

    When i bought my infinity 2000a's, the seller was running them with a pair of MA-500s. They were very robust.
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  • acm91962
    acm91962 Posts: 7
    edited November 2009
    Thanks. Any recommendations for 2 channel amps? I was looking at a Crown XLS 402 on ebay.
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  • WesKParker
    WesKParker Posts: 43
    edited November 2009
    I don't have any experience with that amp specifically, but it's looks to be a pro-audio amp. I think people would not generally recommend something like that except maybe to drive a passive sub. If for no other reason than because it has fans in it, that will almost certainly introduce unwanted noise to your audio rack.

    There are tons of amps out there. You could also try audiogon to get a good idea of whats available and going prices.
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  • acm91962
    acm91962 Posts: 7
    edited November 2009
    Thanks again. Didn't see your initial comments on the Marantz MA 500. I'm going to look into those.
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  • Polkitup2
    Polkitup2 Posts: 1,623
    edited November 2009
    I had the Ri150s and the more power the better. You need a high current amplifier, not a receiver to get the most out of your speakers.
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  • acm91962
    acm91962 Posts: 7
    edited November 2009
    Thanks Polkitup2. The earlier post recommended Marantz MA 500 or MA 700. What do you think. Any other suggestions on amps ?
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  • Polkitup2
    Polkitup2 Posts: 1,623
    edited November 2009
    I used a NAD C370 Integrated amp which worked great with the RTi150s. I also used the NAD C370 in bridged mode with a NAD C270 which gave 300 plus watts per channel. That was over-kill. :D
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