How do you tell if a receiver has a high current level?

[traut]

Is there any way to tell in the specs if a receiver delivers a high level of current, or do you have to take the dealer's or manufacturer's word for it? I've got a pair of B&W 604 S3's that I use for mains, along with an LCR 600 S3 center channel. I've just started looking for a receiver that will make these babies shine in two channel as well as for HT. I demoed them with the new Rotel 1067, and it sounded great, but $2300 is a bit more than I'd like to spend for a receiver. The dealer said that the B&Ws sounded so good with the Rotel because it delivers a large amount of current. So I checked out the Rotel's specs, and there is no mention of any current... anybody know how to figure it out? Thanks... Rob

[Audie Oghaisle]

...Is probably your best source for that sort of info...they will go to great pains to make it known whatever spec or feature they feel to be a selling point...Bench tests and reviews will either prove or disprove the claims, so it's in the builders best interests to be truthful...dealers on the other hand will tell you whatever they think will make the sale...you're better off site-surfing and gathering such manufacturers info on your own, after all an educated consumer may be Sy Syms best customer, but they can scare the bejesus out of nearly any salesman selling anything...

At the Rotel site, the term "High Current" seems to be associated with all their amplification products...but, most other manufacturers also tout the term...I don't believe any of them actually have a useful spec for comparison purposes...the FTC only requires wattage to be stated as per standards...anything else, well...subject to investigation and testing...

Rotel does have a good rep...

Audie

[topspeed]

Is there any way to tell in the specs if a receiver delivers a high level of current, or do you have to take the dealer's or manufacturer's word for it? I've got a pair of B&W 604 S3's that I use for mains, along with an LCR 600 S3 center channel. I've just started looking for a receiver that will make these babies shine in two channel as well as for HT. I demoed them with the new Rotel 1067, and it sounded great, but $2300 is a bit more than I'd like to spend for a receiver. The dealer said that the B&Ws sounded so good with the Rotel because it delivers a large amount of current. So I checked out the Rotel's specs, and there is no mention of any current... anybody know how to figure it out? Thanks... Rob

Check the power ratings. A general rule of thumb for "high current" designs is the wattage will double as you cut impedence in half. For example: 100w @ 8 ohms, 200w @ 4 ohms, 400 watts @ 2 ohms. The closer you get to this ideal, the better off you are in my experience.

If you're more concerned about two channel than HT sound, my suggestion would be to get a decent 5 or 7 channel receiver for HT (Yammie RX1400/2400, Denon 3803, etc.) for $600-750usd and then add a good two channel amp for your serious listening. This way, you'll have all the decoding you need for HT with the flexibility to tailor your amps sound for two channel. You can get a nice Parasound Halo A23, Marsh A200s, or Aragon 2002 (all on clearance at AudioAdvisor) for under a kilobuck and have terrific sound for music. Ta-Da! You just undercut the Rotel by almost a grand! Personally, I just don't see a need for having killer amplification for all 5 or 7 channels unless you're planning on going multi-channel hi-rez like SACD or DVD-A. In this case, you MIGHT be able to hear a difference.

Hope this helps

[traut]

Audie & Topspeed, thanks for the info, it's very helpful.

TS, one of the less expensive Japanese A/V receivers coupled with a high power 2 channel amp is definately an option I've considered, and I could get both for less than or equal to the cost of the Rotel 1067. The Rotel just sounded so excellent with my 604s, but I need to check out the other options. Denon just released the 3805 with some nice features (like an extra set of component video inputs), so perhaps I'll wait a year or so and try and pick up a used or discounted one, then pair it up with a nice amp for my mains. SACD/DVD-Audio is something else to keep in mind, but I guess I could always buy a 3 channel amp down the road if I needed to power the other channels.

[mtrycraft]

I've got a pair of B&W 604 S3's that I use for mains, along with an LCR 600 S3 center channel. I've just started looking for a receiver that will make these babies shine in two channel as well as for HT.


What do you think you are missing with what you have?

I demoed them with the new Rotel 1067, and it sounded great,


Unless you do a careful bias controlled comparison, levels matched, you will not know if this is true or not.

The dealer said that the B&Ws sounded so good with the Rotel because it delivers a large amount of current.

You think he has no interest in selling that amp to you?

[/b] So I checked out the Rotel's specs, and there is no mention of any current... anybody know how to figure it out? Thanks... Rob[/]

As topspeed mentioned, you need to see if the amp is rated for lower that 6/8 ohm continuous operation. Claiming it in an ad or a dealer making claims is meaningless unless supported by facts.