ranjeetrain
New Member
Thanks for the clarification and I am in sync with you on this.
Before the OP can proceed to buy a power amp, it would be better if he can confirm that the distortion is only due to the power requirement of the speakers and not attributed to any other defect either at the receiver's end or at the speakers end. Any suggestions on how he can proceed with the diagnosis ? Even I am clueless except for one idea that I already proposed. That is, how about testing the receiver in stereo mode with only two channels driven (Front-L and Front-R only)? In that mode, the receiver will definetly have more power in it's reserve. With that, we need to see if the distortion occurs around the same volume leve (level - 40). If the distortion does not occur at that level, then the OP can try to increase the volume level till he sees the distortion. This should give an idea or an hint that this is generally a power requirement mismatch and there is no problem either with the receiver or with the speakers. If OP sees distortion around the same level, then either the receiver or the speakers needs some inspection. Onkyo 3010 is certified for THX Ultra 2 plus and still I am not convinced that 3010 is unable to drive the B&W speakers even at moderate volume level.
So it would be better to first verify if there is any problem and then take an informed decision on buying a power amp.
Completely agreed! As a THX certified amp, this amp should be capable of producing reference level loudness as specified by Lucas Film. And that should be *sufficiently* loud.
A few things I will suggest OP to do before taking out the wallet.
(1) Install a SPL meter on any Android phone with good quality microphones, check what SPL he plays at and report back.
(2) Setup the subwoofer at the recommended x-over point. Either the subwoofer recommendation can be followed, or the AVR default can be used. Both should work.
(3) Do a factory reset and Run Audyssey calibration. For a room 10x10 this amp should have enough head room, even with a power hungry speakers such as his fronts. More likely something is wrong with the setup. Something doesn't seem right. Audyssey can fix it.
(4) Check if the source is connected to the AVR using analog cable. If that's the case, that's where the distortion is coming from.
After trying out he can report back the findings for further help.