My studio amplifier is broken and I need a new amplifier to keep using my studio speakers.

My question is:

Can I use a Hi-Fi amplifier with 60 W per channel at 8Ω with my speakers that are 95 Watts RMS (8Ω) ?

Specifications for the Hi-Fi Amplifier (and link to its complete info):

Output Power:
60 W per channel at 8Ω (RMS, THD 0,06%; 20Hz - 20kHz)
100 W per channel at 4Ω, (DIN, 1kHz)
70 W per channel at 8Ω, (DIN, 1kHz)

LINK WITH MORE INFO:
https://stereonomono.blogspot.com/2012/08/onkyo-8200.html

Specifications for the studio speakers:

Power handling (typical music signal content): 95 Watts RMS

LINK WITH MORE INFO:
https://www.soundcraft.com/en/products/spirit-absolute-zero

Thanks!

 

Sure! Why not? Wattage numbers are just limits. Don't run this setup at maximum possible volume and you shouldn't have problems.

 

You should not have any problems, with speakers having more than 150% of power handling capacity compared to the amplifier.
You can turn the volume even to max. but it is not recommended for a longer periods of time in order to spare the speakers' inner suspension from deforming and losing elasticity. It depends, to a degree, on amplifier 's damping factor (the higher the better - 50 or more) to prevent amplifier oscillations.

 

The more important thing is the impedance. Your speaker works with the same impedance than your amp, and they can handle more power than the amp: all good in term of hardware safety.
In term of sound quality you may not hear what you expect, but as a provisional solution it works.

 

Well thank you very much fiction, pratyahara and Olymoon!

So I should leave the volume knob say, to the middle right (not drive it too much)?

Indeed the important thing is that I can keep working and use it as a provisional solution - hopefully the sound quality will not be too bad!

 

No
Don't fear about volume.
Amp and Speakers same impedance 8 ohms.
Amp 60 W per channel @ 8 ohms , speakers 95 Watts RMS @8Ω means that they can not only handle the power of your amp, but these speakers can handle higher peaks.

The only things you should care about in this situation are your ears. Working long times at 60 watts RMS is gonna make you deaf on the long term.

 

Well, just for the record, there's also speakers' efficiency, which determines the sound power generated (amplifier will heat more, deplete the power supply, and distort more in achieving the desired sound power if speakers are inefficient).
Also, when you push volume knob too high you lose dynamic headroom, get degraded transient response, increase THD and induce overheating both of the amplifier and the speakers.
But your system is well balanced power-wise, so just do not abuse it and you'll have nothing to worry about, ever.

 

Thank you ALL for those guidelines - I'll follow them while I use this amp (hopefully will buy some new good professional auto-amplified speakers soon).

@Olymoon: Quote: "Working long times at 60 watts RMS is gonna make you deaf on the long term."

Could you please elaborate on that? I really care for my ears as I mix long days - is that related to mixing with lower volumes or mixing too loud?

 

Working at too loud level.
It's not even needed. With a bit of training, you can mix well at 40 watts RMS. You can easily hear every thing clearly at that level.

(Maybe I can say that because I have good monitors .. But if you mix a lot, this should be your first investment.
How useful is the rest of the chain if you cant hear well?)

 

It depends on the air volume of the room in which you are mixing and your distance from monitors.
The real measure of RMS needed is the SPL you get on your listening position.

 

Yes of course, that's also true.

 

Ok thanks got that! I do take care of mixing not too loud - say 85dB SPL or less than that - sometimes I turn it louder for some time to get a sense of the energy but then go back down after not long.

For sure the next investment will be for good speakers - I am thinking about the Focal Alpha 65 or Yamaha HS7 (or HS8):

https://www.thomann.de/intl/focal_alpha_65.htm

Are there any other recommendations in that price range (about 500€) and it's necessary to spend more to get a good speaker that is flat for mixing? I know for about 1000€ are the Adam A7X - any other better than those in that price range?

An extra question: my studio amplifier turns on correctly but it won't sound - what could it be? Obviously if it turns on the fuse is fine right? I had to move it to another city and it got some bumps (not big hits though) on the way home while being transported.

Thanks

 

Last edited: Sep 10, 2020

About the speakers I can't tell in this price range.

About the amp. Check if there are more protection fuses.
Also, after a while on, check if the current transformer is hot, if it's cold it may be dead.
There quiet s lot possible reasons anyway, it's difficult to guess without testing it.

 

You can not turn on any electric gear if the transformer is dead, because the circuit path of the power supply is broken.
I guess some LED turns on.
So most probably something went dead in the signal path (both channels).
Or, if you're lucky, maybe some input/outpu jack of some switch just got disconnected...

 

Last edited by a moderator: Sep 10, 2020

Ok I will check if there are extra protection fuses and see if maybe some input/output jack of some switch just got disconnected, which might be the case as the main LED on the front turns on (in red) as always.

I have tried the Hi-Fi amp and works but doesn't sound too good as you guys predicted (no good for mixing)!

 

Last edited: Sep 10, 2020

No good in what way?
If the power supply is damaged some of the electronics might not work and if your amp has a DC relay protection the relays might block the signal. You can usually hear relays clicking when on/off.
Fuses are out of question, since LED has power supply. A blown fuse prevents electricity from even arriving into the amp.

 

You are right, but some (good) amps have more than just the power input fuse.
Some have fuses for each output too, to protect the output amps form any overload, (most of the time if speakers have lower impedance than needed for example.)

 

NQUOTE="Olymoon, post: 500766, member: 2832"]You are right, but some (good) amps have more than just the power input fuse.
Some have fuses for each output too, to protect the output amps form any overload, (most of the time if speakers have lower impedance than needed for example.)[/QUOTE]
Now you are talking about signal path, not about power supply. I know that's a possible solution, but in really good amps overloads are addressed by relays (as I said in my previous post) because fuses have non-linear impedance and relays are much faster.
Also to protect the amp output stage drivers DC servo loop circuits are used (expensive solution) or shunt capacitors (cheap solution).
It is hard to imagine that those burned simultaneously by themselves on both channels (chances are they were burned at once by a damaged power supply).

 

@pratyahara: Please note I have 2 amps - the broken one (the one you are commenting about when it comes to the fuse, etc.), and the Hi-Fi amp (60 Watts Amplifier) that works and I asked about in the first place (to see if it would work with my speakers).

The Hi-Fi works but sounds much worse than my original studio amp I have always used for mixing - in other words I meant the Hi-Fi amp is no good for mixing since the low end sounds really bad and in general when it comes to the definition and dynamic range compared to my original (now broken) studio amp. It is possible to use it of course (the Hi-Fi amp) but it really sounds bad compared to my original studio amp, so finally I am going to get some new auto-powered (active) speakers.

I will try to fix the broken studio amp so thanks a lot to you and everyone for giving me guidance on what it could be that is broken...

 

OK, But amps are amps. There are just good ones and bad ones, working and/or broken. There is no such thing as a 'studio' and a 'Hi-Fi' amp.
You should get your broken amp inspected by someone qualified.