What is the Best Way to Match my Speakers/Sub-woofer to an Amplifier?

My speakers are 300 Watts “Max” and 90 Watts “Rated Power”. What size amplifier do I need to drive them to achieve the best performance?

When you are choosing an amplifier to drive speakers or a Sub-woofer, you should use the “RMS” per channel ratings (amplifier) and the “Rated Power” (speaker/sub-woofer) as the reference for your choice. Always define which ratings you are comparing and try and get them as close as you can.

“Max/Peak” Power Rating

The “MAX/PEAK” power rating of a speaker is the amount of power that the speaker can handle in short bursts or peaks without causing permanent damage to the voice coil. If this rating is exceeded constantly, you will risk burning the voice coil.

“Rated Power” Power Rating

The “Rated Power” rating of the speaker is generally considered to be the nominal constant power that the speaker will handle continuously without causing damage.

Therefore if your speakers are rated at 90 Watts (rated power) you should drive them with an amplifier that is capable of supplying 90 Watts RMS per channel or as close to that as possible. That is not to say that an amplifier capable of a higher output cannot be used if the amplifier settings are managed responsibly, remembering the potential to overdrive your speakers exists. This rule also applies to using an amplifier that is under driving your speakers. Constantly driving a distorted signal from an over driven source to your speakers can cause damage to the voice coils.