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Speaker power rating and amplification???

Stage one: I own a pair of B&W DM604 S2's that have a power rating on the rear of the speaker listed at 150W. Stage two: I have an Acurus A150 2 CH amp that has a power rating of 150W per CH. Question: Is this too much power for the speakers? What considerations need be addressed here. I also have an Acurus A80 with a rating of 80W per CH if the A150 is too much power. Any suggestions on how to correctly match power to speakers and are there any rules of thumb to be followed here? I don't want to do any damage to the speakers with too much power.

Thanks for your time and advice.
nissancrazy
athipaul
40 posts
 
If a car has a top speed of 150Mph its going to an effortless trot when driving at 60Mph. I do believe you will be able to tell the difference between the two amps and would prefer the 150W one.
nissancrazy OP
30 posts
 
Rlips
Thanks for the reply. I am currently running the A150 and have noticed "more dial" regarding volume. Also the speakers need not be turned up as far on the volume dial to get the same level of output as when powered by the Pioneer. The soundstage has improved, and there are details in the music not heard before, all of which are good things.
Thanks for the advice and just an aside your system looks amazing, bet it sounds even better.
rlips
105 posts
 
Your welcome. Just to clarify, the "dial" position is not related to the power output of the amp, rather, it has to do with the voltage gain of the amp. All things equal, usually lower voltage gain and more "dial" is better; you want to take the voltage gain as early as possible in the pre-amp), this will typically result in a lower noise floor.

Of course, the best guide is your ears, for whatever reason, you hear more detail and better imaging, these qualities alone would be the reason to go with a particular amp, regardless of power rating. And, it may be, as you move up the line, the circuit is different.
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