Rcvr speaker Wattage? (1 Viewer)

[Wetdream]

Hi all. Looking to upgrade my Yamaha Rx-v385 receiver... it pushes only 70w per channel on my Focal Aria 905 bookshelf speakers and i have it set up as a stereo system only (am working back to a 5.1 system this month).

Is it REALLY worth the dime to upgrade to a 80w, 90w, or 95w receiver? Im not as concerned about 5.1 vs 7.1 or how many inputs (just really need 3).

Will this just increase loudness that i dont need? Clarity? Performance noticeable to the ear?

Single income dad so I do have a budget... and also been saving up to get a Focal Aria cc900 center channel ;0)

THANKS!

 

[Phil Iturralde]

The Yamaha RX-V385 is very nice AVR and the 70w matches up very nicely to your Focal ARIA 905 speakers.

"Will this just increase loudness that i dont need?"

Probably not, ... unless you go to a 128w AVR if you want 3 dB more SPL.

Here's a quick Watts vs SPL (Sound Pressure Level x1 speaker) chart based on your 905's speaker sensitivity rating.

As you can see, to hear an extra 3 dB of SPL, you would need to double your AVR Watts.

Now, that's just a quick snapshot of your setup, but for a more detailed SPL vs. your home / room, select the following link and fill in the fields, specifically Distance and Speaker Placements.

How Loud Will It Go?

You'll get a better idea how much more louder (SPL) you'll hear in your room.

"Clarity? Performance noticeable to the ear?"

It's possible, though how much more clarity or performance can be subjective.

Personally, my opinion is you're already setup and there's no need to "upgrade" your "Yamaha Rx-v385 receiver". Save your money and get a powered-sub, if you don't already have one.

If you do go 5.1 in the future, after you YPAO Calibrated your setup, you can clearly achieve the holy grail of HT SPL of 105 dB (sub-woofer SPL peak) and surround experience, which is more than enough to disturb your neighbors.

 

[JohnRice]

Power is about more than just how loud it plays, but as was already mentioned, a small increase of 20 watts won't in itself make any audible difference.

 

[Wetdream]

Oh wow... Ok thank you!! Im just a novice and trying not to get caught up in all the marketing and gimmicks for things. Sounds like I am definitely ok to stay where i am with the receiver!

VERY much appreciate the help.
Jon

 

[DanH1972]

Oh wow... Ok thank you!! Im just a novice and trying not to get caught up in all the marketing and gimmicks for things. Sounds like I am definitely ok to stay where i am with the receiver!

VERY much appreciate the help.
Jon

You may want to consider, at some point, a move to a newer receiver that will give you pre-amp outputs. That way you can keep upgrading and add a modest multi-channel power amp that will give you better power handling, consistent watts per speaker with all speakers driven, lower distortion, more dynamic headroom/less compression, etc.

You're not likely to get the full rated wattage specs on just about any receiver as the receiver manufacturers basically fudge those numbers six ways to Sunday.

 

[daddyora]

Oh wow... Ok thank you!! Im just a novice and trying not to get caught up in all the marketing and gimmicks for things. Sounds like I am definitely ok to stay where i am with the receiver!

VERY much appreciate the help.
Jon

Yeah, probably better to use what you have for a year or so and let this HDMI spec thing settle out. I have a Yam RX-A660 and made the mistake that DanH mentions of not getting an avr with preouts and now regret it. Stepping up to an avr w/preouts will likely get you >100watts but not typically with all channels driven. So somewhere around early 2022 I may get in the market for a new avr.

 

[3dbinCanada]

Hi all. Looking to upgrade my Yamaha Rx-v385 receiver... it pushes only 70w per channel on my Focal Aria 905 bookshelf speakers and i have it set up as a stereo system only (am working back to a 5.1 system this month).

Is it REALLY worth the dime to upgrade to a 80w, 90w, or 95w receiver? Im not as concerned about 5.1 vs 7.1 or how many inputs (just really need 3).

Will this just increase loudness that i dont need? Clarity? Performance noticeable to the ear?

Single income dad so I do have a budget... and also been saving up to get a Focal Aria cc900 center channel ;0)

THANKS!

How big is the room, how far do you sit away from the speakers and how loud do you want to play them?
You can always go the used route as well. If you go to the "introduce yourself" section and look at my post, you will see my equipment list in detail. All of my current AVRs are used Yamahas and all are functioning flawlessly.