950/755 Combo?

Posted by: Rambilt

950/755 Combo? - 11/14/03 02:29 PM

I'm thinking of buying the 950/755 combo for my setup. I have a Polk RT-55i for main, Polk CS-245i for center and Polk F/X300i for sorround. I'm currently using a Pioneer receiver VSX-509S. My question is would the 950/755 combo be too much power for my speakers?
Posted by: gonk

Re: 950/755 Combo? - 11/14/03 02:41 PM

I have generally heard that it is more dangerous to underpower speakers than to overpower them -- weaker amps, when pushed to their limit, will tend to clip, which can damage speakers. It is preferable to have an amp with extra reach (headroom) so that transient peaks will not push it into clipping. The specs for the RT-55i and CS245i both recommend anywhere from 20W to 180W or 200W, which would tell me that the 755 would work fine. The surrounds recommend 10W to 100W, but even there I would not expect the 755 to put them in any danger -- the surround signals are less demanding than the front soundstage, and the 755 will only output as much as it is asked to.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review
Posted by: Rambilt

Re: 950/755 Combo? - 11/14/03 03:15 PM

Gonk, thanks a lot for a quick response. I think I 'll go for the 950/755.
Posted by: Embries

Re: 950/755 Combo? - 11/14/03 04:51 PM

Having sold 'mass market grade' components for the last 6 years, I am intimately familiar with this situation. Gonk is most correct, underpowering a speaker is much more detrimental than overpowering. Be sure to do yourself a favor and get an spl meter to set the levels of your surround channels. Having sold the entire Polk line, I can attest to these speakers headroom. The 755 will not cause you an issue unless there's a large ammount of distortion in the signal (given that your levels are set properly).