Compatibility of Yamaha R-S202 and wharfedale 9.1

[Aby]

Hello All,
I already have a wharfedale 9.1 speaker system. I am looking for a suitable entry level integrated amplifier . I was looking at the Yamaha India website and looks like the entry level stereo amplifier R-S202 ( Link : https://in.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-s202/specs.html#product-tabs

I was just wondering whether it is suitable to connect to Wharfedale 9.1 because of the power rating.

The amplifier rating is given below:
Minimum RMS Output Power (8 ohms, 40Hz～20kHz): 85 W + 85 W (0.2% THD)
Maximum Power (4 ohms, 1kHz, 0.7% THD, for Europe): 115 W + 115 W
High Dynamic Power/Channel (8/6/4/2 ohms): 125 W / 150 W / 165 W / 180 W

The spec of the speaker says, 100Watts @ 6 Ohms. You can see that the amplifier rating is higher than the speaker rating.

Could you please help me to understand:

• Will I burn my speakers if I use this amp ? (kindly note, I have absolutely no plans to use it high volumes. I just want it be heard within my room. So the volume will ALWAYS be at normal levels)
• If this amp cannot be used , then is there any other Yamaha entry level amps available in India which can be paired with Wharfedale 9.1 ? (My first preference is Yamaha since it has its own presence of sales and service centers in India. First I was planning to go with Marantz PM 5005 , However I realized the servicing is a pain since the mode of operation is via a distributor . There is no Marantz India website itself)
• What is the other brand that be paired with Wharfedale 9.1 apart from Norge 2060 (which is already in my list) within the budget of max 20K?

 

[dazzwilliams]

You could have a look at the Yamaha RN 303.

Other offerings from Marantz etc at this price point have lesser wpc output

 

[Aby]

You could have a look at the Yamaha RN 303.

Other offerings from Marantz etc at this price point have lesser wpc output

Thanks . I think RN 303 is next up in the line. The R-S202 is the cheapest I could find in the site. The main question is, will it(R-S202) harm the speaker due to the power rating difference?

 

[apbinu]

just a quick calculation Yamaha R-S202 RMS Output Power - 8 ohms, 85 W + 85W which is continues power.
High Dynamic Power/Channel @ 8 ohms is 125 W & 6 ohms is 150 W, so continues power @ 6 ohms should be approx. around 100W -110W per Channel.

Now your Wharfedale 9.1 specs are below:-

Nominal impedance	6 Ohm
Amplifier Requirements	20 - 100 W

So with continues power @ 6 ohms from Yamaha R-S202 i.e. approx. around 100W-110W per Channel you will be feeding the max range i.e. 100W on your speakers all the time, which in my opinion should not be ideal for speakers on long run. In case of any Dynamic Power from R-S202 @ 6 ohms is 150 W is certainly higher than your speaker range. So i would suggest try to avoid it.

Norge 2060 is a good option which will drive these speakers with easy, some other options Marantz PM5005 / PM6005, Pioneer A-10AE, Denon PMA-520AE should be ideal. hope the above explanation helps

Cheers,

 

[sgautam]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. A few pointers if they help you

You will not burn your speakers or the amp since they both are compatible for even heavy usage. I mean even if you listen at loud volumes (<60-70% of max vol) for extended periods it wouldn't damage the speakers since they are designed to handle such loads. If you use them at moderate volumes then you needn't bother about the wattage and specs much. They become irrelevant beyond a point.

In my personal experience I used a Tripath amp to drive huge Magnat floorstanders for over a year, and also drove small bookshelves using a 150 watt rms AVR. If you are sensible with the volume post nothing breaks. Don't worry.

More importantly it's better to drive a speaker with a higher wattage amp rather than vice versa since you will be running the amp much below its capability thereby reducing the chance of distortion or increase in temperature etc. It would have better headroom improving the SQ.

My suggestion is to buy an amp which you like most, either Marantz or Yamaha. Stick to Yamaha only if the diff is marginal. Amplifiers are usually very reliable and run for years since they don't have any moving parts. You need to keep it well powered and ventilated.

Yamaha + Wharf combo was always well regarded though I never had that combo. I had the PM5004 driving the 10.1s and the system sounded beautiful.

Another aspect you need to consider is that you may want to upgrade your speakers since I am assuming that your 9.1s would be around 7/8 years old.

Finally within 20k budget I think your amp choices are fine. Best of luck and keep us updated. Cheers

 

[Aby]

Thanks @ sgautam, apbinu

I talked to one of the dealer today and he also suggested that it is better to drive the speaker with higher wattage amps . I have requested them for setting up a slot for audition and he has agreed. I would like to see how Yamaha RN 303 (~24K) , PM 5005 (~26k), and Denon pma 520 ae(~20k) performs. I could see that PM 5005 is available around 20K in some of the online stores but will prefer the dealer if he can reduce a bit . Yamaha R-202 costs around 18K according to him.

Another aspect you need to consider is that you may want to upgrade your speakers since I am assuming that your 9.1s would be around 7/8 years old.

Thanks for reminding me that!. I couldn't believe that its 8 years now. Thats a reason for upgrading the speakers too .

Will keep you all updated.
Thank you.

 

[spirovious]

I would like to see how Yamaha RN 303 (~24K) , PM 5005 (~26k), and Denon pma 520 ae(~20k) performs

Yamaha can drive 9.1 better than 2 others if you need good power.At moderate volume levels all can run 9.1 easily.Check which combo appeals you the most.

 

[apbinu]

Thanks @ sgautam, apbinu

I talked to one of the dealer today and he also suggested that it is better to drive the speaker with higher wattage amps . I have requested them for setting up a slot for audition and he has agreed.

Great, let us know your experience & final decision. Its alway a wise choice to audition audio/video products in person, as its very subjective

 

[DB1989]

You could have a look at the Yamaha RN 303.

Other offerings from Marantz etc at this price point have lesser wpc output

Does the Yamaha sound better?

 

[DB1989]

Thanks . I think RN 303 is next up in the line. The R-S202 is the cheapest I could find in the site. The main question is, will it(R-S202) harm the speaker due to the power rating difference?

Nope. Just don’t pump up the volume to the maximum if it is beyond that supported by your loudspeaker. For reference, i’ve driven my Boston Acoustics A26 through a Crown XLS1502.

 

[DB1989]

Thanks @ sgautam, apbinu

I talked to one of the dealer today and he also suggested that it is better to drive the speaker with higher wattage amps . I have requested them for setting up a slot for audition and he has agreed. I would like to see how Yamaha RN 303 (~24K) , PM 5005 (~26k), and Denon pma 520 ae(~20k) performs. I could see that PM 5005 is available around 20K in some of the online stores but will prefer the dealer if he can reduce a bit . Yamaha R-202 costs around 18K according to him.



Thanks for reminding me that!. I couldn't believe that its 8 years now. Thats a reason for upgrading the speakers too .

Will keep you all updated.
Thank you.

I think the dealer does not know what he’s talking about or just trying to pull a fast one due to higher margins from a given brand. Such an argument would presuppose that all solid state amps, whatever the price point may be, sound better than tube amps which usually have much lower power ratings. For that matter, this Argument would equally apply to class d vs class a/b. Checkout/audition the Naim Uniti Atom to understand what 40W per channel can achieve. In that case, the marantz pm5005 which has 45w should be better than the Naim. Trust your ears and always insist on an audition.

 

[DB1989]

Thanks @ sgautam, apbinu

I talked to one of the dealer today and he also suggested that it is better to drive the speaker with higher wattage amps . I have requested them for setting up a slot for audition and he has agreed. I would like to see how Yamaha RN 303 (~24K) , PM 5005 (~26k), and Denon pma 520 ae(~20k) performs. I could see that PM 5005 is available around 20K in some of the online stores but will prefer the dealer if he can reduce a bit . Yamaha R-202 costs around 18K according to him.



Thanks for reminding me that!. I couldn't believe that its 8 years now. Thats a reason for upgrading the speakers too .

Will keep you all updated.
Thank you.

For reference, my Marantz pm6006 (45w) sounds better for music than my marantz sr6013 (110w) which in turn sound better than my crown xls 1502 (300w).

 

[Aby]

Does the Yamaha sound better?

Honestly I haven't been able do an audition in a showroom but listened lot of samples from youtube. I know it is not perfect and can depend lot on the recording device. I found Marantz is best just followed by Norge and then Yamaha. However I have seen one clip where Yamaha was sounding good when paired with suitable speakers . So I think it is speaker dependent to a certain level in case of Yamaha . But I must admit that Yamaha is feature rich including streaming from lot of online sources.

 

[Yogesh]

To answer your primary query, NO, You don't need to worry about damaging either Amp or Speaker. You should be fine.

Regarding Amp, You could also check Yamaha 303, Marantz PM 5005 or PM 6006 too. As you have the speakers you could audition these amps with these Amps. Your ears would give you the answer.

One thing you will need to consider is Both the Yamaha have BT and/or streaming options. Marantz doesn't. 6006 has optical/coaxial but that's that. You need to decide hoe much connectivity options are important for you.

Happy Hunting.

 

[DB1989]

Honestly I haven't been able do an audition in a showroom but listened lot of samples from youtube. I know it is not perfect and can depend lot on the recording device. I found Marantz is best just followed by Norge and then Yamaha. However I have seen one clip where Yamaha was sounding good when paired with suitable speakers . So I think it is speaker dependent to a certain level in case of Yamaha . But I must admit that Yamaha is feature rich including streaming from lot of online sources.

Agreed. It is a feature rich amp with bluetooth and digital inputs at 19k. Unfortunately , i haven’t heard it either so i can’t testify to its performance though it does seem like a very tempting proposition. Would like to check out a yamaha amp at some point of time.

 

[DB1989]

Honestly I haven't been able do an audition in a showroom but listened lot of samples from youtube. I know it is not perfect and can depend lot on the recording device. I found Marantz is best just followed by Norge and then Yamaha. However I have seen one clip where Yamaha was sounding good when paired with suitable speakers . So I think it is speaker dependent to a certain level in case of Yamaha . But I must admit that Yamaha is feature rich including streaming from lot of online sources.

On another note, I hope the samples that you heard were through a headphone?

 

[Aby]

On another note, I hope the samples that you heard were through a headphone?

Yes. With headphones.

 

[DB1989]

Honestly I haven't been able do an audition in a showroom but listened lot of samples from youtube. I know it is not perfect and can depend lot on the recording device. I found Marantz is best just followed by Norge and then Yamaha. However I have seen one clip where Yamaha was sounding good when paired with suitable speakers . So I think it is speaker dependent to a certain level in case of Yamaha . But I must admit that Yamaha is feature rich including streaming from lot of online sources.

Then again, you can add a decent aptx hd bluetooth streamer/receiver to any amp for as little as 2-3k (i have a signature acoustics phoenix and they are quite good) so this shouldn’t weigh heavily in the Yamahas favour.

 

[Yogesh]

Then again, you can add a decent aptx hd bluetooth streamer/receiver to any amp for as little as 2-3k (i have a signature acoustics phoenix and they are quite good) so this shouldn’t weigh heavily in the Yamahas favour.

Yeah, A cheap BT/DAC or Chromecast Audio (If you can get one) can do the trick.

Signature Acoustics phoenix seems to be Bang for buck product. BT, Optical, Aux connectivity, All the cables included too with battery built in.

 

[humblebee]

Yamaha is a good choice. Dont worry about speaker damage. Low wattage is more risky and causes damage.
I was first going for audioengine of 26 watts but went for marantz of 40 watts for this reason.
What is your dac?