Speaker wattage

Can I reliably use speakers that are rated at 20 Watts on an amplifier that outputs 100 watts? I say reliably since I have been using them for
a week. If it's ok to continue using them, what's the difference in them and some rated higher, cleaner sound, louder, or what?

Thanks....Fred

 

it's always better to use higher wattage.its's actually more damaging to use wattage lower than the speakers capability. damage occurs when you turn a speaker up until it distorts,or clips. more wattage is always better.

 

i had always been told you wanted speakers rated for [bold]more[/bold] watts than your amplifier could put out so that you never got to the distortion range where damage occurred.

if you've got a 100 watt amp, but say, 5 of the 20 watt speakers hooked up, you'd be okay. i've got 10 speakers hooked up to a system that only puts out 150 watts, but it's gets plenty loud

 

its better to have more juice in your amp than is needed.


(just dont blow your speakers ;/ )

 

I am using a 6.1 receiver/amplifier that has 100 watts per channel. For the front left/right speakers, I have some rated at 25 watts. Is this a bad thing or not. If it's bad what problem am I in for. It sounds fine to me.

 

It's no problem as long as you don't crank it.

 

One of the biggest A/V Urban legends around is that high power amplifiers will "blow-out" or damage your speakers if they are rated at a wattage lower than your amplifier. The opposite is true. Even a very cheap mini speaker from Radio Shack rated at 20 watts RMS can handle peaks of 100 watts RMS of UNDISTORTED program material, however an amplifier rated at 20 watts providing DISTORTED program material to the same speaker can damage it! Hope this helps.

 

Auslander, youre just waiting for youre amp to die, are you experiencing any clipping?

 

nope, system works fine. has for 3 years now. i can get as loud as i want, pretty much. i don't really get too much distortion at the top end (that i rarely turn up to), but i can make stuff fall off the walls

 

oh okay, sounds good then.

 

yes, it certainly does lol

 

i like mine to rattle stuff out of place. lets me know it working. my yammy rx-v1500 is rates at 740 watts by 7 channels, but i only have 5 connected right now. all my speakers are rated just a tad bit above the spec, but i have no problems at all.


@kodaker
just dont crank your system too loud or bad things can happen.