Do the surrounds really need much power

I would say its not about bandwidth as much as dynamic range.  All the special effects are sent to surround channels and can be QUITE dynamic.  Explosions, doors thudding closed, etc.  You need significant power to support all these noises they stick in the surround channels.   

Brad

Yes. Surround sound speakers require a power source to be functional. Wired speakers use a long cable to connect to the receiver/amplifier (power source). Wireless speakers use a shorter AC power cable (mirroring that of a small appliance), batteries, or are charged before use cupcake 2048

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