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Need some Amp help - a little new to properly powering speakers

Hello. 

 I have some polk LSIM707s that I thorough enjoy.

However, at the moment I'm powering them using a Yamaha aventage 3070 receiver which at 150 watts at 8ohms sounds pretty darn good. 

However, since these are rated at 300 watts at 8 Ohms, I assume I will need some more power. I notice at lower volumes a lot of the imaging and clarity disappears. 

I am looking at buying a 300 watt emotiva Amplifier, or a 500 watt emotiva amplifier.

I'm assuming it would be better to purchase the 500 watt per channel emotiva so the speakers won't suck it dry or stress it. 

Am i wrong in this assumption? 
moskaudio
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
DF (Damping Factor) desirable level really depends on the speaker in question. Some speakers definitely require more than others, some speakers require very little DF. Too much DF can be detrimental to sound quality. There’s no such thing as the more DF the better in every circumstance. Increased DF reflects an increase in NFB and there can be undesirable  sonic effects as Atmasphere has  eloquently explained in past posts.
Charles
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willemj
1,036 posts
 
As for the Quad electrostats. Right now I am listening to my 2805s driven by a 2x140 watt Quad 606-2, at almost full power. The sound is glorious, but to be honest, realistic level would require more power. For a larger listening room like mine Quad's UK engineer recommended their 2x260 watt QSP monoblocks. They are on my wish list. The modern 2805's are far less sensitive than my older ELS 57s.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Too late to correct: QMP monoblocks. The QSP is the modern equivalent of my 2x140 watt 606-2.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,841 posts
 
@willemj , I think you might be confusing sensitivity with efficiency. They are not the same; the latter is based on power and ignores impedance, the former is based on voltage and impedance thus matters quite a lot!

Now if you are driving a larger room, you will need serious power regardless. If that is the case, you might consider a set of Sound Labs, as they are better at playing the higher sound pressure levels you might need in a larger room.
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