What amplifier do I need for a pair of 200w max 6ohm speakers?
Maximum wattage ratings on speakers is virtually meaningless. There is no specification that can tell you a speakers maximum output because that will vary with program material. The wider the dynamic range of the music the less power they can handle, and just the opposite with music with less dynamic range. You want to always have more power than the speakers can handle anyway, for its having the extra headroom in the amplifier that will protect both the speakers and amplifier. Most damage to speakers occurs when over-driving the amplifier into distortion sending a clipped audio signal to the speakers. and when you drive a amplifier close or over its maximum output that amplifier can overheat and damage the output stages of the amplifier. So if high volumes is desired then buy more than enough power so you never come close to the amplifiers maximum output. Can you damage speakers with to much power ? Yes but its much less likely and hard to do. What does 6 ohms mean ? That is the load or resistance it presents to the amplifier. 8 ohms is the easiest impedance for an amplifier to drive, as the impedance drops or rises from 8 ohms it requires more current. Speaker impedance is only a nominal rating because impedance will vary because of the speaker design, and the frequency its having to reproduce. Some speaker impedance varies more than others, and this requires a higher quality amplifier to handle the load the speakers present to the amplifier. Look for a amplifier that has low impedance drive capability down to at least 4 ohms preferably lower even to 2 ohms, and it should come close to doubling its power as the impedance drops in half from 8 to 4 to 2. This indicates a good quality amplifier. Lastly as speaker have there own sound quality so do amplifiers. So ideally you want to buy a amplifier that complements the sonic signature of the speakers. If the speakers dent to be on the bright side of neutral than you want a amplifier that is a little on the warmer side as to make the speakers and system more natural sounding and not to sound to bright or to dull. Altec speakers can be a dat bright so find a nice warm sounding amplifier to give them a more natural balance. Kevin 40 years high end audio video specialist
Tower speakers or 5.1 speakers?
A 2.1 or 2.0 system for rear does not exist. The number 2.1 or 2.0 refers to a 2 channel system. If you desire rear speakers, then you need to go with at a 5.1 system, which represents 5 speakers and a subwoofer - 1 left front, 1 right front, 1 center, 1 left rear, and 1 right rear. Most Blu-ray movies are in 5.1 format, and your AV receiver is tasked with separating these channels to feed to your speakers. Great receiver brands are: Marantz, Denon, Pioneer, and Onkyo. When shopping for receivers, you should look at THD (total harmonic distortion) and look for something with less than 0.1% distortion. With a $2000-$3000 budget, you will be able to get a very decent system. Bowers and Wilkins is a great speaker brand. With your budget, I would definitely get 2 front towers. If you want amazing bass, I recommend subwoofers from HSU Research or SVS. They produce affordable subwoofers than go very low and very accurate, below 20Hz for amazing bass.
Yamaha NS-A1738 tower speakers with built in 15" sub! But no amp?
That is not a 'sub' but a woofer. Full range speakers have a tweeter, a midrange and a woofer. Your main amp drives all 3. If you take the woofer out and put it into it's own enclosure then we tend to call it a sub-woofer and many have their own amps - but not all. My advice: pass on these speakers. Yamaha makes great electronics - but they are not known for their speakers. Speakers from Sony, Yamaha, Denon, Philips, Samsung, etc., tend to be like "pack in" wires. Low quality, just to sell things in a bundle. If you want a home theater - then you must get the matching center speaker and rear speakers. This makes it a lot less attractive.
How would i make a Tower speaker hit harder?
My 12s in the tower speakers are kind of old, i figure thats first of my problem. My recievers sub output isnt working, or you need an amp hooked up to it for it to work, not sure which really. If i replace the 12s with newer woofers, at a higher wattage that should improve my bass output right? If not i was thinkin i could use a "Car" setup and get an external 30amp dc input and power two subs straight from that.....any thoughts?
Bose 701 tower speakers with a built in subwoofer or amp?
The Series II has the subwoofer for LFE. A humming sound usually indicates a grounding problem, actually the loss of a ground. The hum is an idication that one of the RCA patch cords is defective. If you have the 701 Series II, they do have the LFE or subwoofer and have an AC power cord on the left speaker. The regular 701s do not have the sub. Go to the Bose website link and download the owner's manual for your speakers.
Paramax p-1620 tower speakers specifications?
The specs say 400 watts however you have to take specs on those speakers with a grain of salt as the stats are considered to be unreliable and exaggerated by some people....usually a 400 watt peak rating would mean using a 200 watt RMS amplifier, would be the upper limit; but because there are no rules for measuring peak power and there are no listings for distortion levels or measurement methods its pretty much a guess...a lot has to do with the size of your room; how lively it is; what your preferred listening level is; type of material etc...but anything from say 40 watts to 150 RMS should be a safe bet....