Merlion Audio

All The Best Sound

Receiver Amplifier

How do you rate a receiver amplifier?

How do I determine if the amplifier in my receiver is enough? How much watts per channel is considered enough? I have a Pioneer receiver that output 120 watts per channel. I want to upgrade to a higher end Onkyo receiver but the power output of that unit is 90 watts per channel.

There's really very little difference between a 90 watt/channel receiver and a 120 watt/channel receiver. That 30 watts might give you a bit more headroom at loud volumes. But, it won't give you significantly more volume at higher listening levels. It just means that the amp will not clip as easily as the lower wattage amp. For most home theater applications, especially with fairly efficient speakers, 70 - 120 watts per channel is fine.

The most efficient speakers I can think of are made by Klipsch. These put out about 93 dB for 1 watt at one meter. And, that's pretty loud. Inefficient speakers would be something more like 87 dB and below for 1 watt at 1 meter. In this case, you will have to have at least 4 times as much power input to get the same volume as the 93 dB/watt speakers. And, then you may need a higher wattage amplifier (around 200-250 watts per channel).

Default Featured items Bestselling Average customer review: high to low Price: low to high Price: high to low Alphabetical: A to Z

Sony STR-DH100 2-Channel Audio Receiver (Black) List Price: $149.99 Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Sony STR-DH510 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver [3D Compatible] Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver List Price: $249.00 Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Sherwood RX-4105 2-Channel 100-Watt Stereo Receiver List Price: $99.99 Sale Price: $89.72 You save: $10.27 (10%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Onkyo TX-SR308 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) List Price: $299.00 Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Pyle P3002AI 3000 Watts Hybrid Receiver and Pre-Amplifier with AM-FM Tuner/iPod Docking Station List Price: $285.64 Sale Price: $190.71 You save: $94.93 (33%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Sony STR-DH810 7.1-channel A/V Receiver with 7 HD Inputs [3D Compatible] Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Denon AVR-391 5.1 Channel AV Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.4a (Black) List Price: $249.99 Sale Price: $189.00 You save: $60.99 (24%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Onkyo TX-SR508 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) List Price: $399.00 Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Pioneer VSX-1020-K 7.1 Home Theater Receiver Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

OSD Audio MA2 Outdoor Receiver Amplifier