1052 with bw 705's

[ejuanpiman]

hey guys, i have a set of b&w 705's powered with a rotel rx-1052, and i have a mirage s8 subwoofer it all sounds beautiful, very clear and mellow, my question is how hard can these speakers be pushed, the speakers are meant to be pushed 120w rms, and im pushing 100w rms to them, the volume on the rotel goes up to 100, and i currently have only taking them to 65, my question is if i go higher will my speakers blow, or is theyre some type of security mechanisim the amp has or the speakers, anyways thanks for your time guys...

[ejuanpiman]

anyone?

[Cracking Oboe]

It's not just about the power

First.. there is no protection in either your speakers or the amplifier.

I think it is the first part of your question that makes people hesitate to reply?
A little science is required to explain the rest of your question.

When an amplifier exceeds it's maximum current output it clips the signal. It's usually the distortion due to amplifier clipping that blows a speaker, when an amplifier starts to clip, the distortion is audible to most people who really "listen" to their music.
Some companies use a 'soft clipping' design to minimize the distortion to the speaker and protect it.
(a clipping amplifier will blow your speakers whether it is 5 watts or 500 watts)

Power is equal to current from the amplifier(amperes) multiplied by the resistance of the speaker (ohms). (V=IxR)... if the resistance provided by the speaker is reduced by half, the current from the amplifier has to double to obtain the same Voltage (power).

Power ratings are usually quoted with an average 8 ohm load provided by the speaker.

Your 705's rated resistance is 8 ohms and don't go much below 5 ohms for some frequencies, and should not present a difficult load for your amp.
(The resistance varies in a speaker with the frequency it is generating.)

So.. to make a long story short (sorry too much info?). Your 705's do not present a difficult load for your amp to handle, and you could push your system harder. I have heard of people playing their amp at "80" with similar set-ups, but that seems just a bit high to me and causes mild bleeding from the ears in a small room. I think 75 max is a pretty safe bet. So I'd try to crank her up to 75, listening for any audible distortion or dynamic compression, if it runs clean it'll rock! (careful of the ears... anything over 85db for a long period of time can do permanent ear damage!)

I hope this helps,

Jon

[ejuanpiman]

jon thanks alot for your information, i do hear audible clipping, but it was somewhere between the 85's, wich is very very loud already, when it is around 70 to 75 it sounds just perfect and loud, thank you so much for your info.