Tip of the Day: How to Avoid Blowing Out Your Speakers

Every so often some variation of this question gets asked on the Audioholics Forums, "Will I blow my speakers if I use amplifier X with speaker Y?" A good general answer is that so long as reasonable care is taken, odds are good your equipment will last for years to come. That is to say, if you detect strain or distortion, simply turn the volume down to the point where those problems go away. Bluntly, no you won't destroy your new speakers simply by the act of hooking them up to a receiver that can deliver something other than the exact amount of power they happen to be rated for, so go enjoy some tunes. Not satisfied yet? No problem, follow the few steps below to make sure your system stays rockin' for the long haul.

• In a multi-channel system employing a powered subwoofer, set ALL of your speakers to "small" in the receiver setup menu and set the crossover frequency a little higher than manufacturer recommendations (we usually recommend 80Hz). Many manufacturers claim their speakers can play lower than they actually can, so to be safe try a crossover frequency that is a little higher than the lowest frequency a manufacturer claims a speaker can play. For example, if your speakers are rated to play down to 60Hz, try an 80Hz crossover.

• Keep the volume on your receiver at least 5-6dB below its max setting. The volume adjustment on most receivers goes from -80dB (mute) to about +16dB (max). By staying below -6dB below that max setting you can typically avoid over-driving the receiver, which could potentially damage your speakers and receiver.  I a good tip would be to set the max volume limit in the OSD menu if that is an option.

• If you can't seem to get enough bass out of your subwoofer, instead of cranking up the volume try changing the location of the subwoofer. By placing a subwoofer in a corner you can boost the output, but sometimes at the expense of sound quality.

• Lower the noisefloor in your room so that you don't have to turn the volume up so high.  That means lowering HVAC noise, closing a door to cut down on external extraneous noises.
  

Source:  Forum Member - Steve81, Cliff Heyne