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Protecting speakers in home theatre application?

I have an Adcom preamp and amp (GFP-565, GFA-535 II) driving a set of B&W Nautilus 804s. I am considering using this with a new TV via a (yet to be purchased) DAC, but I am wondering whether driving the speakers with TV / movie audio with non-music, non-voice special effects audio audio risks damage to the speakers. This includes signal drop-outs / and static-bursts since the HDTV tuner will be over the air broadcast rather than cable.

I looked for prior discussions but did not find them. Any thoughts or pointers to other discussions?

One final comment- I care most about music, not TV and movies, which I just need to hear. I’m not trying to build a theatre. So, I’m hoping to get a rather cheap DAC and maybe a cheap line-level pre-amp with a remote volume control. These components could also be a worry. To be clear, the setup would be to take the digital TV signal via toslink to a DAC; take the line level from the DAC by RCA to the in-line volume control and from there to an AUX in of the Adcom preamp. For music, my CD player goes into another input of the Adcom pre-amp and is free of all this new nonsense...just CD, Adcom pre-amp, amp, and speakers.
efrank
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Wolfie- you crack me up, man!  But given what we now know about hover boards, I hope you've got a hold harmless clause in their contracts 😜
efrank OP
6 posts
 
Thanks for your comments. I must fit everything into one room. In any case, I'm still left with the question of whether there is a risk to the speakers.

willland's avatar
willland
846 posts
 
I can't speak directly about your B&W 804's but the Klipsch RF-63's I have been using since May 2008 have taken everything that I have thrown at them.  From very demanding 2-channel music to very complex and dynamic high resolution BD movie effects to TV/Netflix fed with toslink to DAC to preamp/processor.

I had an OTA HD antennae for a while with it's static bursts and dropouts and never experienced any ill effects.  If my RF-63's(msrp $2000.00) can take some abuse, I would think your 804's(msrp $7000.00) could also.

Are you more concerned with your tweeters, midrange drivers, or your bass drivers getting fried?

Bill
wolf_garcia
6,639 posts
 
Contracts? Risk of deportation obviates contracts. My servants all carry small fire extinguishers and wear helmets…because I care. Note that the primary risk to speakers is extreme distortion from a SS amp played too loud, direct current from a failing amp of any kind, and curios probing fingers squishing a tweeter.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Here's a professional home theater review of a Nautilus 804-based 5-channel HT setup:

http://hometheaterhifi.com/volume_8_1/b&w-nautilus-home-theater-speakers-2-2001.html

I've been running Mirage M5si's as the mains in my 7.1-channel 1.4KW HT system for 19 years with no problems. 

The main thing to watch out for would be if you watch lots of movies with explosions and car crashes, in which case you'd want to high-pass the signal to your 804s at 40Hz or even a little higher, and let a home theater-worthy powered subwoofer handle the special effects low frequencies.
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