Question about receivers...(weight)
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chuckken
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Question about receivers...(weight)
Why do some receivers have huge transformers and weigh 90 lbs...while others weigh only 25 lbs and put out the same watts???...What are the advantages of the weight?...In other words, is heavier better? (always)...and why?
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Richard
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akirby
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The heavier receiver may have bigger, heavier components for better reliability or performance. It may also have more components such as individual power supplies for each channel. Also, just because the RMS ratings are the same that doesn't mean they're delivering exactly the same power. Some higher quality amps outperform other amps with higher RMS ratings.
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tombanjo1
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Why They Weigh More
No links, but a good starting point is to go with the heavier unit in receivers or any other piece of audio equipment. I'm not a technical expert, but wattage is the most abused spec in the audio world. Two amps, one costing $10,000 and the other going for $250, both advertise 200 watts. Read the specs carefully, as the cheaper ones will say 200W peak instead of rms, or even more misleading, adding up the 5 channels to come up with a total wattage that looks like a per ch wattage.
Why the price difference?
The big $$amp will give you the 200w with almost zero noise (distortion) and for an almost unlimited time without sounding strained.
The cheaper ones will start to distort as soon as you turn it up.
You know how when you blast Led Zep and hear a lot of glare? That's the amp straining. If you know how loud you like your music and movies, you need an amp that will sound the same at low levels as it does when you juice it up. After all, what's the use having a hot feature filled receiver if the thing starts to sound too bright at high volumes? You also need to know how sensitive your speakers are so you can get a proper amp to drive them so they won't sound strained.
The amp is the heart and soul of your system. Start with power (as dictated by your needs, such as room size and speaker sensitivity), then build quality. Specs should be carefullly checked out and questions asked if you don't understand. Then, and only then, features and gizmos should be considered.
Why the price difference?
The big $$amp will give you the 200w with almost zero noise (distortion) and for an almost unlimited time without sounding strained.
The cheaper ones will start to distort as soon as you turn it up.
You know how when you blast Led Zep and hear a lot of glare? That's the amp straining. If you know how loud you like your music and movies, you need an amp that will sound the same at low levels as it does when you juice it up. After all, what's the use having a hot feature filled receiver if the thing starts to sound too bright at high volumes? You also need to know how sensitive your speakers are so you can get a proper amp to drive them so they won't sound strained.
The amp is the heart and soul of your system. Start with power (as dictated by your needs, such as room size and speaker sensitivity), then build quality. Specs should be carefullly checked out and questions asked if you don't understand. Then, and only then, features and gizmos should be considered.
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chuckken
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Okay...here is an example, I have a Sony STR-DE597 which is a 6 X 100 watts receiver in my bedroom...(about $160.00)....it only weighs 18 lbs. And then in my family room I have the Pioneer Elite VSX-55TXi receiver (about $1000.00)...also 100 watts per channel...but it weighs about 50 lbs...(that's more than twice as much)...I was just wondering why the huge difference in weight?...with great speakers they both sound awesome....(Incidentally, this is a great combination since the Sony has two optical inputs and the Pioneer has two optical outputs...But Heavens!...I was just curious about the dramatic weight difference!
tombanjo...The Sony doesn't appear to distort any more than the Pioneer at about the same noise level...(This is using very good speakers of course).
Heres a link for the Sony...(It's also where I bought mine).
http://store.yahoo.com/pricesrite/strde597.html
Here's a link for the Pioneer...
http://www1.shopping.com/xPO-Pioneer_VSX_55TXi
tombanjo...The Sony doesn't appear to distort any more than the Pioneer at about the same noise level...(This is using very good speakers of course).
Heres a link for the Sony...(It's also where I bought mine).
http://store.yahoo.com/pricesrite/strde597.html
Here's a link for the Pioneer...
http://www1.shopping.com/xPO-Pioneer_VSX_55TXi
Happiness is a state of mind, not a place of existence.
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tombanjo1
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Weighty issue
Chukken,
Look at the specs. The Sony is driving 100w into an 8 ohm load and yields a very high THD (total harmonic distortion) of 0.7%. On top of that, it's not even at the full audio spectrum. That rating is at 1khz
The Pioneer on the other hand, gives a repectable (and way better then the Sony) THD of .09% and does it from 20hz to 20khz.
See what I mean? Same 100w per ch. claim, but the Pionner is way more efffecient.
Take the EAD 7300 amp which goes for about $6000. 300w per ch, 5hz to 20khz at 0.2 thd. Very impressive specs, no? The thing weighs a ton too. Why? Because more power calls for bigger transformers. Cleaner, noise free power calls for heavier shielding, especially in receivers which need to share space with amp and preamp. That's the main problem with multi channel receivers as opposed to seperates, they have all that stuff in one box and preventing "cross talk" is very hard. More power also brings more heat, so you need heavy heatsinks built in to the unit. All this stuff adds weight and $$.
Look at the specs. The Sony is driving 100w into an 8 ohm load and yields a very high THD (total harmonic distortion) of 0.7%. On top of that, it's not even at the full audio spectrum. That rating is at 1khz
The Pioneer on the other hand, gives a repectable (and way better then the Sony) THD of .09% and does it from 20hz to 20khz.
See what I mean? Same 100w per ch. claim, but the Pionner is way more efffecient.
Take the EAD 7300 amp which goes for about $6000. 300w per ch, 5hz to 20khz at 0.2 thd. Very impressive specs, no? The thing weighs a ton too. Why? Because more power calls for bigger transformers. Cleaner, noise free power calls for heavier shielding, especially in receivers which need to share space with amp and preamp. That's the main problem with multi channel receivers as opposed to seperates, they have all that stuff in one box and preventing "cross talk" is very hard. More power also brings more heat, so you need heavy heatsinks built in to the unit. All this stuff adds weight and $$.
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tombanjo1
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Silence Is Golden
No problem. Audio noise is a funny thing, as you don't seem to realize it's there until you hear a dead silent rig at a high end store or show. Then it stands out like a sore thumb. I guess it's the same thing as black levels for video. I love watching my 60" Samsung DLP and I think to myself how great it looks, but then I go upstairs to my daughter's room and see how glorious the true blacks look on her 32" Sony XBR. She's watching Sponge Bob the way it's supposed to be displayed while I'm watching washed out blacks on my $3000 set. Go figure!
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peter m. wilson
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Hi,
With regard to a recievers weight and the heavier is better theory, there's much more to it than that. A phrase that indicates quality andusually weight is something like "7.1 reciever 170wperch all channels driven" Basically this weighty feature means that there are 7 X 170w amps that will not borrow power from another amp in the reciever when asked for more juice.
Something that says 600w total means the power goes wherever it's needed. If it's needed everywhere at the same time at load volumes it distorts or clips. This reciever is generally much lighter than the former, and much cheaper also.
The size of the area you need to fill with sound should also effect your buying decision.
Peter m.
With regard to a recievers weight and the heavier is better theory, there's much more to it than that. A phrase that indicates quality andusually weight is something like "7.1 reciever 170wperch all channels driven" Basically this weighty feature means that there are 7 X 170w amps that will not borrow power from another amp in the reciever when asked for more juice.
Something that says 600w total means the power goes wherever it's needed. If it's needed everywhere at the same time at load volumes it distorts or clips. This reciever is generally much lighter than the former, and much cheaper also.
The size of the area you need to fill with sound should also effect your buying decision.
Peter m.