I agree, interesting discussion with different opinions, so heres mine.
No doubt a different speaker could be better suited for the room, however I think you definitely need more power on the current speaker.
http://www.diyaudio.com/wiki/Loudness_and_Speaker_Sensitivity
This is all based on a 1 meter distance, and since you are probably further away, the reduction of perceived loudness at greater distances must be considered. The approximate reduction will be, 2M 6db, 3M 9.5db, 4M 12db, 5M 14db, 6M 15.5db. Obviously, the greatest effect is the first 4 meters.
A 4 ohm speaker is more demanding than an 8 ohm. The amp should be rated for 4 ohm, or even better, rated for 2 ohm. It is definitely a big plus for the amp to double its power into a 4 ohm load, but not absolutely necessary, although you would want to see a substantial increase, much more than the 30% increase of the pm5004.
In speaker/amp matching, it is always better to err on the side of too much power than too little. With too little power, the desired sound cannot be achieved, and there is a greater risk of damage to the speaker, amp, or both. Since a double of power is only a 3db increase, I believe I would be looking at amps in the 100w range and above.
As Captain Kirk said, Scotty, we need more power!
.
No doubt a different speaker could be better suited for the room, however I think you definitely need more power on the current speaker.
they sound great with jazz or acoustic. With rock, they can sound a bit muddySince you said they sound great on jazz or acoustic implies the speakers are working OK in the room. Rock music is generally played somewhat louder than the others stated due to the tendency of Lets rock, crank it up!, therefore requiring more power from the amp. The Marantz pm5004 is a good value, but with its rated power of 35w @ 8 ohms, and 45w @ 4 ohms, should be used on a less demanding speaker. Reviews and measurements on the PSB T6 indicate it should be used with a substantial 4 ohm rated amp. Also, considering the speakers measured sensitivity, average listening distance, and moderately loud listening volume for rock, its easy for me to see that the power requirement could exceed the Marantz pm5004.
And is the general issue about right amp for a speaker about the ratio (ie double the watts at 4 ohms) or is there an absolute number? Ie: ideally you would like 80 watts for a 4 ohm speaker?Basic speaker/amp matching is generally done using the speakers sensitivity. Take a look here,
http://www.diyaudio.com/wiki/Loudness_and_Speaker_Sensitivity
This is all based on a 1 meter distance, and since you are probably further away, the reduction of perceived loudness at greater distances must be considered. The approximate reduction will be, 2M 6db, 3M 9.5db, 4M 12db, 5M 14db, 6M 15.5db. Obviously, the greatest effect is the first 4 meters.
A 4 ohm speaker is more demanding than an 8 ohm. The amp should be rated for 4 ohm, or even better, rated for 2 ohm. It is definitely a big plus for the amp to double its power into a 4 ohm load, but not absolutely necessary, although you would want to see a substantial increase, much more than the 30% increase of the pm5004.
In speaker/amp matching, it is always better to err on the side of too much power than too little. With too little power, the desired sound cannot be achieved, and there is a greater risk of damage to the speaker, amp, or both. Since a double of power is only a 3db increase, I believe I would be looking at amps in the 100w range and above.
As Captain Kirk said, Scotty, we need more power!
.