Sure, most of us want more, not less power, but the catch is there's no reliable way for a consumer to learn about a given amp, receiver, or HTIB's wattage.
Oh, there's one specification that has served me well over the years: weight. Power is heavy, or to be more precise, the stuff that makes power is heavy. I pretty much guarantee that a 44 pound receiver will clobber a 22 pounder when it comes to dishing out King Kong's room shaking antics. Powerful amps need big transformers to pull a lot of power from the wall outlet, and high current transformers are always heavy things. The other power supply related parts are also big, heavy, and, well, not cheap.
Some can barely manage a third of their claimed wattage. The reasons the manufacturers "get away" with this outright fraud are numerous, but the reality is most buyers don't listen all that loud.
One hundred watts per channel might not be enough, or might be better, but an honest-to-God watts might be what it takes to rock your world. Even if it's just the occasional party where you really want to blast the system, you need to buy enough power. First there was composite video switching, allowing you to use your receiver as the hub of your entertainment system.
But as video quality improved, so did receivers and connections. Then came s-video, followed by component video and DVI switching. Currently HDMI switching and high definition video up-conversion is the rage. What is HDMI? The convenience of up-conversion is that you can plug any type of video connection into your receiver, which is up-converted to HD and sent to your display, this equals less cables and a better picture.
The majority of receivers do a great job reproducing movie and music soundtracks equally. However, there are companies that offer better quality amplifiers for serious two-channel stereo listening, sacrificing other surround sound or video switching features used in home theaters. Receivers that put music first are more difficult to find, usually either a separate two-channel receiver or amplifier is the solution.
Most integrated receivers you will find are geared toward home theater and surround sound. So, how do you know which one to buy? The quick answer is to do your homework, which you are doing right now well done!
More specifically, read reviews of different receivers, see what other owners have to say about them. You can find forums where you can post specific questions and most of the time, get a couple of great responses.
Above all else, give it a listen. Play with its features and decide what sounds good to you, not just what has the highest review. How to Choose a Receiver. Receivers vs Amplifiers Receivers are essentially a preamp and amplifier shacked up together in the same box.
The thing to do is go upscale—not to the top of the line in the big-box store, but to the bottom of the line at the audiophile store. Here's why remember to click the image to enlarge :. Price and wattage scores are estimates based on same. While stepping up to the "low-end of the high-end," you score a significant upgrade in quality, and have the right amount of power.
But there's a way to get even more value for your dollar: buy used vintage gear. Here's why:. The technology behind the best amplifiers, pre-amplifiers, and, to a lesser extent, speakers, hasn't changed much in fifty years. Sure, technology allows manufacturers to do more with less, but since when has that translated into value for the customer?
No, the reason new equipment comes out year after year is because it must. The new gear has WAY more power than vintage stuff, but we already saw why all those watts don't mean much. There's another reason buying vintage is a good idea: Every year, hundreds of new products come to market. Some of them will prove to be of poor quality and filled with cost-cutting measures that cut too close for comfort.
But some will prove to be elegant compromises of function and cost, and rise over the decades to legendary status. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
According audio store in Vancouver says that despite of many ups and down, the last 5 years were probably turning point for smart audio technology.
The technology of smart audio has adapted itself into such form which makes it available and ready to install in any form. Thanks for the post though.
I observed that Sony D 4. Why it is happening. A stereo that I want to buy says that it has watts. The seller tells me that is for sound, not electricity.
I have a 15 amp circuit breaker, so I am wondering if I a may safely use this system. Thank you. Still the manufactors of theese products keep lying to their customers.
Both e. Rotel,Carver and Onkyo The keep selling products with 7xw that are having a power consumption of watts and that is simply impossible. Example: Under powered, low quality amp trying to drive a power hungry speaker sounds cheap.
A quality amp powering efficient speakers sounds better. Clarity is your answer, if it's on the CD or LP, you should be hearing it through your speakers.. Wattage and Amp sensitivity helps to reproduce all highs and and lows exactly as it should be heard Now sometimes the recording can be of low quality and fool you into thinking it's your equipment, when it was just a low quality recording EQ's help with this. Frequency range is also important. Try to attain an amp or speakers that cover a wide frequency range..
This allows you the ability to dial it in to your liking. I've been blown away by setups that I found out were only as low as 45w.. My take is the speakers, the DAC, and the Equalizer are the three most important determinants of sound quality.
A bit less of a difference between subwoofers and almost no difference between all the main receiver brands.. There is absolutely no need to spend any more than that unless you get suckered into thinking more watts means better sq. The other aspect to buying vintage hi-fi equipment is that recycling old equipment is much more environmentally friendly than buying new equipment. Your points are very good though! I am a firm believer as I have many old Dynaco, Scott, Leak, McIntosh, Radford and nothing that you can buy nowadays comes close for the money.
Of course it is good to have a little knowledge of electronics as they are a bit like working on old motorcycles, but that is half the pleasure; Great site and super info. Still confused!
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