Need help shopping for Amp/equipment for book shelf speakers

Ajido · December 19, 2018

I want to buy these ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers, I don't know much about setting up audio properly but I did try and educate myself with a couple of Youtube videos before posting. Basically the video said to find an amp that matched the resistance of the speakers, which are 6 ohms in this case, and to find one with wattage 50% more than what the speakers put out for some overhead and to not push the amp too hard, the max power listed is 120 watts.

After shopping around a little I came across this amp which is listed at 150W at 6 ohms, which is not quite 50% overhead but I'm in a smallish apartment bedroom on the second floor so these speakers aren't going to be cranked up to full volume pretty much ever, so is this adequate? Is there a better option I should look for?

Also, what is the optimal way for me to hook this up to my PC? I have an Asus Z170-P D3 which does not have optical out, just 3.5mm and HDMI. I also have a GTX 1080 which has HDMI. Is HDMI the better option or should I use something like RCA to 3.5mm connection?

Lastly, I don't know much about crimping cables, banana inputs or whatever those are. Do I need to do anything special with the speaker cables or just buy some 14/16 gauge speaker wire and connect the speakers to the amp?

anothertom · December 19, 2018

4 minutes ago, Ajido said:

and to find one with wattage 50% more than what the speakers put out for some overhead

50% is a bit much, as it would make it easier to blow the speaker. I would suggest something more like 10-20%. That said, with low wattage speakers it's more difficult to find specific wattages, so looking for something that is 144w, as for your speakers, you're going to find lots at 150w but nothing specifically 144w.

So long as you're sensible with listening volume, and use proper gain structure (turning up the source before the main output) then you'll be fine.

8 minutes ago, Ajido said:

After shopping around a little I came across this amp which is listed at 150W at 6 ohms

That is a receiver, not just an amplifier. While an amplifier will purely have audio inputs and outputs, a receiver will also deal with video, including decoding digital audio, video scaling and switching...

If you're using this with a TV (or a monitor) then hdmi is a good option to keep the audio signal digital as far as possible and to use it with multiple sources (pc, Blu-ray player, cable/satellite box). If you're using a gaming monitor then make sure the receiver support the version of hdmi you're using (e.g. if you need hdmi 2.0 then you'll need a current product, if you don't then the world of used/discontinued products opens up.)

If you want to plug a phone or mp3 player in, then you can have multiple inputs connected at once, just switch between sources. You won't be able to play from multiple sources at once, however.

The receiver you linked would also allow you to expand to a 5.1 system with an active sub, if that's something you might want to do in the future.

Cable wise, you can either use banana plugs or save a bit and just use the screw terminals. Doesn't need anything fancy, sort by price and don't buy the cheapest. 14awg is fine, no need for thicker cable.

Ajido · December 19, 2018

Thanks for the great reply. I'm mostly looking to use this purely for my PC on which I listen to music, play games, watch some shows/Youtube videos. Would I be better off getting an amplifier instead of a receiver and possibly saving some money? Also I don't think expansion is a concern of mine, I'm in a small room so I don't expect to want more speakers in here but I guess it's nice to have the option. If I wanted an amp instead of a receiver, what are some good options that match the speakers I'm looking to power?