How much power do you need for realistic HT?


Will a high quality 5 channel amp of 100 to 120 watts a channel run out of head room on demanding material, explosions and car crashes, etc. I've been told you need 200 watts per channel.
tall

Showing 1 response by drew_eckhardt

It depends on speaker efficiency, how far away you sit, and how reverberant the room is.

Dolby Reference level requires peaks of 105dB at the seats from the screen channels. Near-field, 1W would do this with 105dB/1W/1m horns; although in an acoustically dead room with seating 13' from 86dB/1W/1m efficient speakers you'd need 1000W.

Remember, the difference between 100W and 200W is only 3dB.