Need some receiver help-have Marantz SR5400 (1 Viewer)

[ChrisCollins]

I currently have a Marantz SR5400 and just picked up some Monitor Audio S2's at a great price. They sound great, but the Marantz has a much harder time pushing them that the previous speakers I had.
Any suggestions?
Should I sell in an pick up something like a NAD receiver for a few hundred more or should I just add something like an external amp?

 

[John Garcia]

Does it sound like it's clipping or you just have to turn it up louder? What was the sensitivity of the old speakers vs the new speakers? Yes, if it sounds strained, I'd either upgrade to another receiver or add a used 2ch amp.

 

[ChrisCollins]

yes I need to turn it up much higher to reach the same volume as my old speakers.
Also, my old speakers were more sensitive

 

[John Garcia]

That would be the most likely reason then, and I would say it's nothing unusual. As long as it doesn't sound like it's straining, you should be OK. Out of curiousity, what's the difference in indicated volume on the reciever? Are you calibrating levels with an SPL meter? I noticed when I switched between two sets of speakers which had a 2dB difference in sensitivity, that I had to adjust my levels by exactly 2dB for those speakers.