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Sonos Amp with Polk L100 speakers

  • May 19, 2021
  • 6 replies
  • 534 views
T

Hello!

 

Can someone confirm whether a Sonos Amp will be compatible with a pair of Polk Audio L100s?

 

The Sonos documentation for the Amp says “Your speakers’ power rating should be at least 125W for 8 ohm speakers, and at least 200W for 4 ohm speakers.”

The Polk L100s are 4 ohm speakers and the documentation lists the Steady State Recommended Amplifier Power as 30-160W.

I would think that would mean the Sonos Amp would be too powerful for those speakers, but I’ve even seen this combination recommended before online.

Can anyone confirm whether this combination will work?


Thanks!

Best answer by Kumar

 

 

Is that to say that technically speaking, the Sonos amp is overpowered and could damage the L100s, but I would have to be pushing them excessively for that to occur?

 

 

You could destroy speakers with even an amp of matching  power spec, if you ran it into the speakers at 100% volume for extended lengths of time with high energy music - and the amount by which Sonos amp is overpowered is by very little in amp/speaker design terms.

There is one more thing to know; via the Sonos app, you can limit the volume levels from the Amp to less than 100% - for instance if you set this to 80%, the amp current delivery will be throttled in a linear way from zero to 80%.  

Again, this does not mean that it will now be safe to run music for long times at full on the sliders - which is actually 80%. But in most domestic listening environments, even at these volumes( 80%) your ears and mind will give up much before the speakers do.

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6 replies

K
  • Kumar
  • May 20, 2021

It will. So long as you exercise control over the volume level slider on the amp. 

There is a far greater chance damaging speakers with an under powered amp that clips when loaded.

    T

    Thank you for the response Kumar!

     

    Is that to say that technically speaking, the Sonos amp is overpowered and could damage the L100s, but I would have to be pushing them excessively for that to occur?

     

    The point of an underpowered amp struggling to keep up causing damage to the speakers does make sense.

     

    Thanks again!

    K
    • Kumar
    • Answer
    • May 20, 2021

     

     

    Is that to say that technically speaking, the Sonos amp is overpowered and could damage the L100s, but I would have to be pushing them excessively for that to occur?

     

     

    You could destroy speakers with even an amp of matching  power spec, if you ran it into the speakers at 100% volume for extended lengths of time with high energy music - and the amount by which Sonos amp is overpowered is by very little in amp/speaker design terms.

    There is one more thing to know; via the Sonos app, you can limit the volume levels from the Amp to less than 100% - for instance if you set this to 80%, the amp current delivery will be throttled in a linear way from zero to 80%.  

    Again, this does not mean that it will now be safe to run music for long times at full on the sliders - which is actually 80%. But in most domestic listening environments, even at these volumes( 80%) your ears and mind will give up much before the speakers do.

    K
    • Kumar
    • May 20, 2021

    The Sonos documentation for the Amp says “Your speakers’ power rating should be at least 125W for 8 ohm speakers, and at least 200W for 4 ohm speakers.”

     

    Frankly, this does not make sense and seems to be drafted by a lawyer seeking to limit product liability claims, and not an audio engineer.

      T

      This has been legitimately helpful. Thanks again for the detailed responses!

       

      I can see that volume limiting feature being incredibly helpful in this situation. I didn’t even know it was there!

       

      As for that language from the documentation, that makes a lot of sense. I’ve been shopping for a lot of speakers, and those minimums listed for both 8 and 4 ohm are insanely high.

       

      Thanks again Kumar!

      K
      • Kumar
      • May 20, 2021

      More, having seen the spec of the speakers:

      @85.5 dB, these are not the most efficient. Which isn't to say they are bad, the low efficiency probably allows better bass response from the small box. But to deliver the same sound levels as another speaker of 90dB, they will need more current from the amp. 

      So I would not place these speakers too far from the listening areas where the amp slider will have to be pushed more to the right to get adequate sound levels. But for a listening area  up to a normal sized room at home, distance to speaker should be close enough for this to not be an issue. And, for the use of Sonos amp to not be an issue either.

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