How easily can a receiver fry speakers? (1 Viewer)

[Darren Haycock]

I'm looking at getting a good budget receiver (college student) and have my eye on the Panasonic SA-HE100. It looks like you get a lot of bang for your buck. Apparently, it's 100 watts per channel, and on the back of my current speakers, they say max power 80 watts. Now, does this mean that they're going to automatically get fried, or is that only if I blast it at max volume?

The SA-HE100 looks like a good value to me, and I really don't want to buy a whole new set of speakers that are above 100 watts. But I'll see what you guys have to say.

Also, does anyone know if on this model, you can spread the center channel to the two fronts? I don't currently have a center speaker. :b

 

[RobWil]

Darren...the power differential is fine. I have 200wpc amps on speakers rated at 100wpc...just gives you more headroom and you don't have to turn the volume up as high. It's not like you're going to be running full blast anyway, besides the way receivers tend to overrate power it's prolly more like 80wpc anyway.
If you set center channel to 'off' on the receiver setup menu the sound will go to the 2 fronts.... no prob. In fact there is a large contingency that feels you don't need a center channel at all.
And, BTW...you can actually harm your speakers more easily by underpowering them. This can drive the receiver amps to 'clipping' (running them past their limitations)causing harmful distortion.

 

[Darren Haycock]

Awesome, thanks for the informative reply Rob!

 

[ChrisLazarko]

Darren don't worry about how many watts, you won't have a problem.

Also I have a Panasonic SA-HE70 and let me say the thing is a piece of garbage in my opinion. It includes such low-grade cheap parts and it doesn't sound that good. The SA-HE100 is a step up but it still isn't that good in my opinion... For the same price there is the Yamaha XV-R440 or Onkyo501. Take a look at them before u make your decision, another name for that Yamaha is the HTR-5640.

 

[Michael R Price]

It isn't easy. Especially if you have good speakers. And even if you don't. You'd have to really screw it up (keep turning the volume up even when hearing obvious distortion) to damage anything.

 

[CurtisC]

Underpower worse than overpower as Rob said,also what type of spkrs?I have a feeling Panasonic 100watts ain't really 100 watts.