[Juan_T]

I have a Denon AVR-3802 with RF-3 Klipsch speakers.. If I get separate amps to drive these Speakers, instead of using the internal DENON receiver amp, will I hear a gigantic difference? Or are my speakers not good enough to take advantege of separate amps?

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Ken,

It’s not so much that your Klipsch are “not good enough” as it’s just not necessary. The RF-3’s have an extremely high efficiency rating of 98dB @1 watt /1 meter. Most speakers have a figure in the 87-93 range, which means your speakers are about 6-10dB more efficient. Highly efficient speakers generate a lot of output for the power they’re given.

Considering that a 6dB increase in SPL requires double the amplifier power, using your Klipsch RF-3’s with the 3802 is the equivalent of driving speakers with a 89dB rating with a 250 watt amp! Or speakers with a 92dB rating with a 200 watt amp.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

[Juan_T]

Hi Wayne!

Thanks for your reply. I just thought, for some reason, that separate amps would provide "cleaner" power, thus making them sound better.


btw, My name is Juan!! Not Ken!

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

:b :b It must be time for bed!

Quote:

I just thought, for some reason, that separate amps would provide "cleaner" power, thus making them sound better.

There’s always a chance of that, but if you want to try it be sure you get a liberal return policy.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

[Chuck Bogie]

I can hear a lot more difference from preamp circuitry than I can from the different amps... Case in point... Maggie MMGs driven by a Marantz 2230 sounded okay, but I worried about smoking the amp if I would turn it up.

My bud brought over a Pioneer SX1250... He's had it hooked up to a meter, and sez that it'll put out 250/side... Played nice and loud, but frankly, it sounded sorta harsh/compressed/lacking....

Plugged the preamp portion of the Marantz into the amp portion of the Pioneer. Not as nice as a friend's multi-thousand dollar system, but it sounded a lot better than the Pioneer by itself... Sounded MUCH more like the Marantz than it did like the Pioneer.

[Yogi]

I would agree with Wayne at this point. Although I must give him the benefit of doubt (because its way past his bed time) in claiming that 6db gain equals doubling of power when it is 3db that equates to doubling of power. At 98db efficiency (of your speakers) you are essentially driving an average (89db) speaker with 800W of equivalent power (assuming 100W/ch from your Denon). So you practically already have an 800W/ch amp for your speakers. You are way ahead of most of us in terms of power requirements for your HT. So I don't think at this point adding a separate amp will get you much, if any, improvement in HT performance. Stick to the 3802 and buy some good software instead, or a good sub if you have none.

My two cents.

[Laurence_C]

Technically Wayne and Yogi are correct, but my ears told me different when I added my NAD amplifiers 218THX & S250 for my Klipsch 7.1 setup. Granted my Legend series towers are a bit bass oriented and still efficient, my Onkyo 105 w/ch receiver did not have the clarity, soundstage, crisp highs and clean power that these power amplifiers have. There is just a fullness to power amplifiers that a receiver can't produce. Juan, I suggest you mosey on over to the Klipsch website and search through their forums for more on this.

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Thanks for the correction, Yogi. I was looking at a chart that said “+ 6dB means about twice as loud (200% of the original SPL).” Which of course is not the same thing. :b

*yawn* Where's my nurse when I need her?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt