Need Help Please -----psb Stratus Golds

[jaybird]

CAN A 100W ONKYO TX-787 EFFICIENTLY POWER A PAIR OF PSB GOLDS? I CURRENTLY OWN THE AMP AND IT PLAYS A PAIR OF KLIPSCH KLF-10 REALLY NICE BUT I WANT TO MOVE UP TO A MUCH BETTER SPEAKER. THE KLF-10 HAVE A 98dB SENSITIVITY @1 WATT/1 METER. THE PSBS HAVE A 88dB @1 WATT/1 METER.
ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE IF GREAT APPRECIATED.

[kelticwizard]

I looked up some useful information about the Stratus Golds. It is a 4 ohm speaker. Before I go into what this may mean sound quality-wise, I must ask-do you have any info on your Onkyo receiver?

I want to know what your owner's manual says about 4 ohm loads, as opposed to 8 ohm or even 6 ohm. Does it say that only speakers of 6 ohms or above can be hooked up to the receiver? If your receiver even allows 4 ohm loads, does it give a power rating for how many watts into 4 ohms the Onkyo receiver gives?

This is important info. If you have it, please post it. If you don't, let me know so I can give some educated guesses about your Onkyo and PSB Stratus Golds.

PS: Do me a favor and take the CAPS button off on your next post. People reading All Capitals posts feel they are being shouted at.

[cowanrg]

my dad has a pair of stratus goldi's, and originally he used a nakamichi stasis amplifer to power them, but it wasnt enough. not he has some beast of an amp running them, 500Wx4, bi-amped into them...

they are power beasts even though they are very efficient. that nakamichi WAS powering some klipsch chorus II's, and it was plenty of power for them.

my 2 cents.

[dshortt9]

I owned a pair of PSB Stratus Gold's before my 2.5 clones. They are very power hungry as the impedance dips down to around 3 ohms at some frequencies. They were plenty loud with my Musical Design 150 wpc solid state amp but they were not as coherent as the 2.5's. Perhaps more power would help but I don't know. Lows a bit wooly and slower than the mids which smeared the sound A LITTLE BIT! I'm being very picky of some very good speakers.

[cowanrg]

i agree with you on the bass...

however, placement on these speakers is KEY. spiked just right, and in the right place in the room, bass tightens up dramatically. its almost as if they change to a different speaker with just an inch of repositioning...

the more power you give them, the better they sing. stereophile claims them as the "10,000 watt speaker" because of not only their power handling capability, but of their power USING ability too.

[jaybird]

Thanks for the info, here are the specs.
continuous (DIN) 135w @ 6 ohm
maximum power output (EIAJ) 160W @ 6 ohm
dynamic power output (stereo) 2x250 w @3 ohm
2x210 w @4 ohm
2x130 w @8 ohm
THD = 0.08 @1w

it's sounding like i need more power

[kelticwizard]

Originally posted by jaybird
Thanks for the info, here are the specs.
continuous (DIN) 135w @ 6 ohm
maximum power output (EIAJ) 160W @ 6 ohm
dynamic power output (stereo) 2x250 w @3 ohm
2x210 w @4 ohm
2x130 w @8 ohm
THD = 0.08 @1w

it's sounding like i need more power

I notice that Onkyo gives three different styles of power rating for 3 different impedances.

Power rating is only useful when given by a certain method. This is because most any amp can give a short burst of power for less than a second or so.

They used to rate cheaper amps by "music power" which gave ratings three times or more the rating that "continuous" or "RMS" power gives. "Continuous" is the power rating you want.

So Onkyo gives you "continuous", "maximum" and "dynamic" power ratings. Which leads me to believe that your receiver will play 4 ohm loads, but at reduced power rating. So Onkyo gives a fuzzy spec to cover the fact that you don't get the power out of the receiver into 4 ohm loads that you do into 6 ohms.

I would estimate that you get about 100 watts into 4 ohms.

Now, about the sensitivity of the PSB Stratus Golds. They are rated as 88 dB @ 2.83Volts at 1 meter-not 88 dB @1W at 1 Meter. The difference is important. At 2.83 Volts, you are giving an 8 ohm speaker 1 Watt of power. However, at 2.83 Volts, you are giving a 4 ohm speaker 2 Watts of power. The PSB's play as loudly on two watts as an 8 ohm speaker plays on 1 watt. Hence, the PSB Stratus Golds are actually 85 dB @ 1Watt/1Meter.

Look at it this way. Your Klipsches were rated 98 dB @ 1W/1M, correct? Well, you have to pump 20 watts into the Stratus Golds before they play as loud as the Klipsches do on 1 watt.


Still and all, 100 Watts is a considerable amount of power. It should be pointed out that most of your amp power comes the last tiny bit of a turn you give it. Unhook your speakers and attach a voltmeter. When you turn up the volume, see how most of the voltage comes the last little bit? See how little you have to turn to go from 30 Volts, (112.5 W nto 8 ohms) down to 20 Volts, (50 Watts into 8 ohm). Very little turning.

If you played your Klipsches at or near top volume for your receiver, then you would need more amp for the PSBs. But if you played the Klipsches at a low volume, then you might get by with the Onkyo playing the Stratus Golds.

[jaybird]

[planet10]

Originally posted by jaybird
it's sounding like i need more power

Or choose a more appropriate speaker -- or build your own -- the budget for a set of the PSBs would give a nice budget for a DIY set -- should be enuff to consider biamping (ie solid plate amps driving a stereo pr of subs -- separate or built-in).

PS. The Klipch are said to be very optimistically rated and are probably about 3 dB less than rated

dave