[lastdodobird]

Hi.
 
I've just been gifted with a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers, and I want to use them... but since I'm a headphone person, the only amp I have to use for powering them is a Dared MP-5.
 
The Wharfedales' recommended wattage is 20 - 100w.
 
The Dared's power is 13w.
 
So I'm a bit short there on the power... what exactly would be the consequence of that. I always hear talk of audio gear being underpowered, but I never really understood what the problem of that would be.
 
Would appreciate some advice. Thanks!

 

[cel4145]

Well, don't heavily clip the amp. Heavy clipping can actually send too much extra power to the tweeters (it gets redirected from the driver) and over heat and blow them.

Otherwise, it will be fine other than you may need more power to achieve your listening volumes. I've heard of people running those off t-amps with no more power than your tube amp. Should be fine for getting loud enough for nearfield listening and could provide some good background music for a small to medium-sized room.

If you find you are running the amp just short of it's limits, you might squash the dynamics some and want a more powerful amp.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I've heard the 9.1 powered by an 8wpc T-amp and it was loud enough with the A/C running, however that also means windows closed and that house was in a gated community, so the noise floor might actually be lower. Didn't really lack too much in current; I've heard larger and more powerful Class A/B's with "High Current" stamped on them that did worse. For the MP-5 though I can't be sure if it can have as much current performance (a T-amp might actually have less current in terms of numbers, but a really fast switching Class D can keep up with a Class A amp without running hot).

 

[wotts]

I have the 10.1s, but have only run them with a Pass Labs Aleph 3 - 60w into 4ohm, 30w into 8. It sounds FANTASTIC, so my recommendation is to pursue a slightly more powerful Class A amp. I do not know anything about the Dared, but 13w into an 86db sensitivity speaker won't produce much volume - unless it is up close. A brief internet query said the 10.1 will take 24w to reach 80db SPL at 8'. Mine are about 2.5-3' away, so I am not nearly using the Alpeh 3 to its potential.

 

[lastdodobird]

The reason I ask is that the 10.1s sound like they have significantly too much bass than I expected... big bloated bass. I was wondering if this could be because of the Dared.

 

[cel4145]

Could be a lot of things or a combination of them.

Tube amps can color the sound. That's sort of the whole point of owning a tube amp.

The Wharfedales are also known for being a bit warm. Measurements indicate some boost in frequency response around 100hz. And while the Diamonds are rated at 6 ohm nominal impedance, the measurements also indicate the impedance drops around 190hz to below 4 ohms. Could be some dampening going on if the Dared's impedance output is not low enough which could be making the bass more bloated.

Also, the particular room placement could be exciting bass frequencies. Room acoustics have a lot of impact on speaker frequency response. For instance, if you have them very close to the wall, try moving them out a foot or so.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  The reason I ask is that the 10.1s sound like they have significantly too much bass than I expected... big bloated bass. I was wondering if this could be because of the Dared.

 
I'll second what cel4145 posted - it could be any combination of all those factors. Given you already have the Dared and the Wharfedales, experiment with the positioning, such as moving them away from the walls. Try them in another room even just to eliminate acoustics in your own room as the culprit.

 

[wotts]

I would also look at plugging one or both of the ports on the rear.

 

[elmoe]

Well, don't heavily clip the amp. Heavy clipping can actually send too much extra power to the tweeters (it gets redirected from the driver) and over heat and blow them.

Otherwise, it will be fine other than you may need more power to achieve your listening volumes. I've heard of people running those off t-amps with no more power than your tube amp. Should be fine for getting loud enough for nearfield listening and could provide some good background music for a small to medium-sized room.

If you find you are running the amp just short of it's limits, you might squash the dynamics some and want a more powerful amp.

 
This is absolutely wrong. There is no way to damage speakers due to clipping.

 

[cel4145]

This is absolutely wrong. There is no way to damage speakers due to clipping.

Well, since you know it all, go argue with JBL who says that tweeters can overheat from too much thermal energy as a result of clipping: http://www.jblpro.com/pub/technote/lowpower.pdf

I trust JBL's opinion, and I have also had this explained to me by a professional speaker designer.

 

[elmoe]

Well, since you know it all, go argue with JBL who says that tweeters can overheat from too much thermal energy as a result of clipping: http://www.jblpro.com/pub/technote/lowpower.pdf

I trust JBL's opinion, and I have also had this explained to me by a professional speaker designer.

 
Clearly you haven't bothered reading the articles you quote to people.
 
It is explained in your article that the only way for clipping to actually cause any thermal damage is if the amp is overdriven, and then it will only, theoretically, be able to output twice its rated wattage.
 
The OP's speakers can handle up to 100W. His amp delivers 13W. Even overdriven to the point of doubling the wattage (26W), he will not come even close to being able to damage his speakers. Thermal damage (average power over time) can only happen if said power exceeds the speakers' limits, which isn't the case here, and very very rarely is when lower rated amplifiers are used.
 
So while, theoretically, it's true that clipping from an amp that's rated lower can damage speakers, achieving that by accident is almost impossible.

 

[cel4145]

So while, theoretically, it's true that clipping from an amp that's rated lower can damage speakers, achieving that by accident is almost impossible.

So what you are saying is that I'm not "absolutely wrong," for I was just offering general advice. Just that the OP doesn't need to worry in this particular instance. Good thing I said something. You might have mislead people to believe that clipping is never a problem for tweeters. Glad you were able to learn something.