# How much power is too much?



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

I would like to purchase 1 of Emotiva's new 3 channel amps, when available. My towers are 275 watts, Polk TSi 500S and center is 200 watts,Polk CSi A6 So depending on what will be available wattage wise per channel. I would like to try and future proof for speaker upgrades in future. How much wattage can I push to present speakers with out much risk of damage?
>


----------



## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

You can buy 1,000w monoblocks for each speaker and be fine. Just don't go beyond their limitations. (play too loud).


----------



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

How loud is too loud ?


----------



## jrfan (Feb 21, 2016)

I would stay under your center maybe 180 but do you need that much power.


----------



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

That is funny my wife said the same thing. I was thinking ahead to possible speaker upgrades. Which may have higher watt ratings.


----------



## chashint (Jan 12, 2011)

What other equipment do you already own?


----------



## Savjac (Apr 17, 2008)

Talley is correct, you can have any highly rated, high power amp you wish as long as you don't listen too loud and destroy the speakers themselves. As far as what is too loud ? I think your ears should tell you this.


----------



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your advice.


----------



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Blainetsuds said:


> How loud is too loud ?


Don't push the speakers beyond their limits. You'll know it when they get close.


----------



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

Ok Todd , thanks.


----------



## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

I am pushing small monitors with an Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2 amp, no issues and clipping is a thing of the past!

Get as much power as you can afford.


----------



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks tesseract.


----------



## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

I have run 100w speakers with a 500w per channel amp with no issues. Like mentioned just don't overdrive them. Use common sense and don't let your drunk friend run the controls. It is better to have more power and headroom than to underpower them. If you underpower them and you keep straining the amp to get to the level you want you will introduce distortion and that will blow a speaker faster than more power used correctly.


----------



## Blainetsuds (Feb 12, 2013)

Thanks tcarcio.


----------



## Hank Perkins (Jun 6, 2016)

tesseract said:


> I am pushing small monitors with an Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2 amp, no issues and clipping is a thing of the past!
> 
> Get as much power as you can afford.


IMO too much power??? Are you kidding???

With home theaters we go from very quiet to very loud scenes. This places strains on amplifiers and speakers. Fast, high power amplifiers are the key to great home theaters.

With two channel music you will rarely see amplifiers pump out over 50 watts depending on the speakers (efficiency less than 87db) in a home environment. But with theaters that number can get significantly higher than that at reference SPL. Polk speakers love power.


----------

