Polk Audio Monitor 60 recommended power

dip_n_ride · 11-17-2009, 04:29 PM

Hey guys,

I just picked up a pair of Monitor 60s from Newegg and am very happy with them. I am currently running a Kenwood receiver that puts out 100W/channel, but will be upgrading to a Denon AVR-1910 (90W/channel) around Christmas.

My quick question is (and I think I know the answer, but want to make sure with the folks here at high def forum), am I at risk of underpowering the speakers? I know it is recommended that they run between 20 and 200W, but I'm a little paranoid about this whole underpowering phenomenon.

Thanks in advance!

Loves2Watch · 11-17-2009, 04:38 PM

No problem, that Denon will make them sing...

dip_n_ride · 11-17-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

No problem, that Denon will make them sing...

Awesome! Thanks!

Pycroft · 11-17-2009, 04:50 PM

Not sure the Denon will 'Make Them Sing' but they will sound very very good. I'm guessing you are running them for strict HT use. The Denon will do very fine, but if you gave them more power, they always do better. If you are worried about clipping the sound, as long as you don't turn your volume knob up to 'blow up the house' levels, you should not worry about damaging anything. Monitor 60's are good speakers, and will sound very good!

Congrats!

dip_n_ride · 11-17-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pycroft

Not sure the Denon will 'Make Them Sing' but they will sound very very good. I'm guessing you are running them for strict HT use. The Denon will do very fine, but if you gave them more power, they always do better. If you are worried about clipping the sound, as long as you don't turn your volume knob up to 'blow up the house' levels, you should not worry about damaging anything. Monitor 60's are good speakers, and will sound very good!

Congrats!

Thanks! I will be running them mostly for HT, but also in 2.1 for music. Been doing that since I got them, and they sound great with my current receiver. Can't wait until the system is complete.

Loves2Watch · 11-17-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dip_n_ride

Thanks! I will be running them mostly for HT, but also in 2.1 for music. Been doing that since I got them, and they sound great with my current receiver. Can't wait until the system is complete.

Come back and let us know if that Denon sounds better, cleaner and more powerful then your older Kenwood, if you would please.

dip_n_ride · 11-17-2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

Come back and let us know if that Denon sounds better, cleaner and more powerful then your older Kenwood, if you would please.

I surely will, and I'm very curious myself. The Kenwood has served me very well for a number of years, and the main reason I'm replacing it is for the additional connectivity that newer receivers offer, plus the display is starting to go, only has a few different kinds of decoding, etc. But, for what I paid for it when I did (~$250/$300 back in 2000), it has had great power and great sound. I'll be sad to see it go (all the way to my girlfriend's apartment).

But yes, I'll report back. Thanks guys!

dip_n_ride · 01-04-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

Come back and let us know if that Denon sounds better, cleaner and more powerful then your older Kenwood, if you would please.

Welp, I wanted to wait a few weeks until I posted here again, so here it is.

Got the 1910 about a week before Christmas, and when I'm not at work or out riding my bike, you can bet I'm at home fiddling with it.

Here are some notes on the setup, for those interested:

Ran Audyssey right off the bat. Immediately afterward, per Batpig's suggestions, I changed the front speakers (my new Polk Monitor 60s) to "small." It sounded pretty good after auto setup, but I wasn't getting the bass response I wanted, so I changed the bass setting to LFE+Main, changed crossover frequency to 120, and changed frequency response of FL and FR, Center, and surrounds to 80, 90, and 100 respectively. After a few more slight modifications that I can't quite think of off the top of my head, I was up and running.

I can say with confidence that it definitely sounds brighter and more detailed than my older Kenwood did. It can get louder more easily, and after messing around with the bass and other speaker settings, the sound is fuller with more range. Movies with HD audio sound unreal. And the connectivity options I have now are incredible. Instead of having to switch my TV inputs every time I want to play a game, watch a blu-ray, listen to music, watch cable, etc., I can just leave it on the one HDMI input, and use the QuickSelect settings on the receiver. A/V Passthrough works great too.

I'm definitely psyched about my new acquisition, and I'm learning more and more about setup and tweaking, which is good for future reference. Thanks everybody for your help!

Pycroft · 01-04-2010, 04:42 PM

Congrats on the fine purchase! Enjoy!

Loves2Watch · 01-04-2010, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dip_n_ride

Welp, I wanted to wait a few weeks until I posted here again, so here it is.

Got the 1910 about a week before Christmas, and when I'm not at work or out riding my bike, you can bet I'm at home fiddling with it.

Here are some notes on the setup, for those interested:

Ran Audyssey right off the bat. Immediately afterward, per Batpig's suggestions, I changed the front speakers (my new Polk Monitor 60s) to "small." It sounded pretty good after auto setup, but I wasn't getting the bass response I wanted, so I changed the bass setting to LFE+Main, changed crossover frequency to 120, and changed frequency response of FL and FR, Center, and surrounds to 80, 90, and 100 respectively. After a few more slight modifications that I can't quite think of off the top of my head, I was up and running.

I can say with confidence that it definitely sounds brighter and more detailed than my older Kenwood did. It can get louder more easily, and after messing around with the bass and other speaker settings, the sound is fuller with more range. Movies with HD audio sound unreal. And the connectivity options I have now are incredible. Instead of having to switch my TV inputs every time I want to play a game, watch a blu-ray, listen to music, watch cable, etc., I can just leave it on the one HDMI input, and use the QuickSelect settings on the receiver. A/V Passthrough works great too.

I'm definitely psyched about my new acquisition, and I'm learning more and more about setup and tweaking, which is good for future reference. Thanks everybody for your help!

Glad it works for you and as I said, it sings especially when compared to your older Kenwood receiver.

11-17-2009, 04:29 PM	#1
dip_n_ride A couch and an HDTV to go please. Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 12	Polk Audio Monitor 60 recommended power Hey guys, I just picked up a pair of Monitor 60s from Newegg and am very happy with them. I am currently running a Kenwood receiver that puts out 100W/channel, but will be upgrading to a Denon AVR-1910 (90W/channel) around Christmas. My quick question is (and I think I know the answer, but want to make sure with the folks here at high def forum), am I at risk of underpowering the speakers? I know it is recommended that they run between 20 and 200W, but I'm a little paranoid about this whole underpowering phenomenon. Thanks in advance!

11-17-2009, 04:38 PM	#2
Loves2Watch Ohmmmmmm Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: AZ, NM, TX, MX Posts: 16,583	No problem, that Denon will make them sing... __________________ Friends don't let friends buy Korean brand TV's or Blu-ray players. Main HT Room - Panasonic PT-AE4000U, Draper Premier 119" 16:9 Projector Screen, Panasonic TH-85PF12U Plasma TV, 6 Conrad Johnson LP275M Amps, Anthem Statement D-2 Pre/Pro, 6 Thiel SCS4 Speakers, 2 REL T-1 Subs, Infinity Interlude 120S Sub, Simaudio MOON Orbiter Universal Disc Player, ELP Laser Turntable, 2 Dish Network ViP 622 DVR's, Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Player, Onkyo DV-HD805 HD DVD Player.

01-04-2010, 04:42 PM	#9
Pycroft High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 316	Congrats on the fine purchase! Enjoy! __________________ Home Theatre: HK AVR 354, Parasound HCA 806, Polk Audio RTA 11TL's, CS400, and Monitor 30's. 2 Channel system: Polk Audio SDA 1C's, Soundcraftsmen PCR800 amp, Technics Preamp, Sony SACD player.

11-17-2009, 04:50 PM	#4
Pycroft High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 316	Not sure the Denon will 'Make Them Sing' but they will sound very very good. I'm guessing you are running them for strict HT use. The Denon will do very fine, but if you gave them more power, they always do better. If you are worried about clipping the sound, as long as you don't turn your volume knob up to 'blow up the house' levels, you should not worry about damaging anything. Monitor 60's are good speakers, and will sound very good! Congrats!