I agree with the comments of "brightness" at the limits of volume... which is what I experienced watching Jurassic Park. His comments of using an efficient speaker make sense, based on the 2-channel power ratings... but I listened to Klipsch and Paradigm (both very efficient speakers)... but they didn't sound as good to me as the Rockets so instead of choosing speakers that work with my receiver, I'll need to choose a receiver that works with my speakers. Looks like I'll be spending this weekend trying the 1070 again with the 8ohm setting and will be comparing the Yamaha and the Outlaw with the SPL meter to see what the differences are - as well as my ears for clarity, image, soundstage, etc.

And have one speaker .....

In real life I listen to a fraction of a watt, up to maybe 3-5 watts average output. Peak loads are generally 30-50 watts, in a big room. not counting bass, of course.

Things brings up an interesting observation. I recently got one of those fancy power filters. I have all my devices through it. I can look at what the current draw is on the components. In my admitedly small Room I only draw 1.7 amps on the whole 5 channel amplifier during the lobby shooting scene in The Matrix. That was the peak! Watts = Resistance x Current^2.. Assuming that my speakers are 8 ohm nominal that formula comes out to 23 Watts, Total on the Amplifier. That means this blistering loud scene drew less than 5 Watts Per Channel. My room is 12ft x 14 ft, and my speakers are set to small. I would have to say that 65W per channel would be more than adequate in my size room.


Moral of the story. 65W should be plenty of power unless you are driving huge inefficient speakers in Big rooms.

Regards,

Charlie

where was the spl meter?

For me, the spl meter was at the listening position (right next to my couch) at ear level.

Actually the draw was 1.7 amps at a nominal 120 volts. About 200 watts consumed, but amps are nowhere near 100% efficient, and on the other hand, the amp power supply would prevent the line conditioner from seeing the real short term peaks.

Nutshell: Your test doesn't mean what you think it means, but it's interesting.

Hey Walter, have you had a chance to try out the 1070 with the switch in the 8ohm position?

Just started to... not much change. I was able to dial down the trim by 1 or 2 dB per channel and still hit 73dB with the test tone. Got the CD player back and ran some 2 channel tests, in stereo and bypass. Bypass doesn't drop in level as it did before and I can run high 80's low 90's on the SPL meter. Running in the mid 80's on the couple of movies I tested. With all of those tests, I do notice a brighter (bordering on harsh) sound as compared to my previous receiver... and even compared to almost maxed out volume at the 4ohm setting... but then again, I didn't get quite the same volume levels at the 4ohm setting I'm getting now. Haven't had a chance to try the DVD-based music videos yet to see if there's been a change.

Now that's what I'd would have liked to see in the 1070!

Smitty,
I hear you. However, I will say that this past weekend I really put my 1070 through the paces, listening to some demanding 5.1 SACD/DVD-A music. I could only get to 0.00 dB before I thought I was damaging my ears; it must have been the blood coming from them.