Fallen into a rabbit hole - help me out

Came across a Marantz 2220B unexpectedly. I've always wanted a Marantz, so here it is. So now of course I need to build a new setup which will go into the living room. Basically my whole first floor is an open space. It's not confined into a walled area.

Here is my dilemma - being only twenty watts are my speaker choices limited? I've been pouring through threads on what speaker I should match with this receiver and the common consensus is high efficiency - 92db and up. I should add that yes, I should go vintage with this, but I also want the option of newer bookshelf (wife would be a lot happier) Kef, Wharfedale to name a few.

So that being said, I'm just not clear as to what would happen if I went with something in the 86db range, which seems to be somewhat typical of bookshelf type speakers. Will they just not be as loud? Will I have to turn up the volume more for reasonable listening? Am I making too much out of this? I did mention this to a salesperson at Magnolia and he kind of gave me the,"dude, it will be alright" look. But, he is a salesman.

Thanks

 

I think klipsch is going to be your best option

 

This is on my list - Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-160M (Ebony)

 

Can you get away with floorstanders?

 

Yes, Klipsch are ridiculously efficient speakers. Probably your best bet for speakers not needing much power.

Try these at 97db sensitivity.

Amazon.com: Klipsch RB-81 Reference II Two-Way Bookshelf Speaker - Black (Each): Home Audio & Theater

 

Its down to whst you listen to. I use a Leak stereo 20.
I have never had a problem with speakers. I have used Epos 14,s Spendor SP1,S Mission 770,s and Ruark a Talismans .
I use Leak Sandwich at the moment, and they are very efficient
The Ruark a Talismans were 87 db and 4 - 10 ohms they did not go as loud as the others but loud enough.
The last statement is really the crux of the matter. How loud is loud? Too much fuss is made about this speaker matching
Area.
The average level in watts used at normal listening levels
Is 3 watts. I measured it!
The important specification is the impedance curve.
The lower the figure the more current will be drawn . But quite often the low impedance will go hand in hand with
Reasonable efficiency. So it will. Play loud.
8 -12 ohms will draw little current but may suffer with inefficiency, so it will be easy to drive provide decent quality but may not go loud. Electrostatics or the early ones
Suffer this where they will not play loud but provide excellent sound quality.
Sometimes you just have to couple the Marantz to the chosen speaker and see how it fares!

 

If you can get away with floor placement, consider some Klipsch Heresys. They can sound good when placed near a wall and to me, look like pieces of furniture. I don't have a wife, but I think these would likely pass the WAF test. I specifically bought them because I wanted something unobtrusive in my alternate living room.

I have to eat some crow on the Klipsch brand, because I had a lot of disdain for their Reference series floor standers. Even though the Heresys have a similar tweeter, they are a completely different experience. I don't consider them "hi-fi" but they are still resolving, versatile, and make me forget about gear and enjoy the music.

 

If your room is small, you don't need as much power.

 

Yep, if you can get a way with it, heresy is the best option.

 

Fritz Carbon 7 SE reviewed with an 8 watt 300b amp.
EQUIPMENT REVIEW: The Fritz Speakers Carbon 7 SE

Fritz speakers are the s%!t

 

How big is your room? You have to remember that 20 watts drove many a speaker back in the day. It will drive most speakers today just fine as long as you don't need to fill a cathedral.

I drive my 86db speakers with a 30 watt amp and have yet to hear it strain. I listen at sensible levels in a small room.

 

The living room is approx. 15'x20', however it is connected to a dining room, large 2 story entry area and kitchen. Basically most of the first floor is open-area space. I guess I'm just curious as to how speakers like yours would react to a 20watt receiver. Will I be missing out on sound, or will I just have turn up the volume more for sensible volume. From my understanding vintage speakers were more efficient because of the lower wattage components - which is why a lot of people would recommend going vintage for this setup - I get it.

Thanks for the replies so far everyone.

 

Your profile lists a HK 330C receiver; that's another 20 watt amp. I had a 330B back in the early 70s which was a great little receiver for me.

I'd expect the Marantz would give similar performance.

 

You're right timind. I swapped receivers to test the receiver (Marantz.) The Marantz sounded great, and loud. However they were driving a set of Paradigm monitors v6 - which is rated at 92db sensitivity. Pretty efficient. I'm just wondering what a drop from 92db to 86db would be like. I guess I'm just looking for validation to not over-think it and buy what I want. Not worry so much about numbers.

 

for years i had a pioneer 20 watt / channel receiver and some polk bookshelf speakers - just their basic efficiency monitors. sounded awesome. don't worry so much.
heard these recently and they had a surprisingly good sound from top to bottom and they are my go-to recommendation for book shelf speakers in this range.

Wharfedale - Diamond 225 Bookshelf Speakers | Shop Music Direct

 

Your room sounds very similar in layout to my living room where I use Heresys. Have vaulted ceilings?

 

My first system was all Pioneer (Sony reel to reel, AR turntable) My amp was the SA-500A only 10 watts per channel, 10 good watts! (s great sounding little amp) This system played as loudly as I liked as a young guy, which was pretty loud! My speakers were in a bookshelf, about 30 inches off the floor, apprx 8 inches from the shelf back (the wall in back of the shelf) The speaker location tended to reinforce the bass while still very tight and accurate, not boomy.

Let's say the OP chooses a rather inefficient bookshelf pair rated at 86 dB/ watt/ 1 meter.
Let's see what these speakers should produce in a medium sized room.
At approx 10 feet away the pair should produce 80 dB at 1 watt driven per channel, both channels driven. ( apprx -6 dB inverse decrease vs distance)

For every doubling of watts, we add 3 dB to the speaker output, so:
80 dB @ 1 watt
83 dB @ 2 watts
86 dB @ 4 watts
89 dB @ 8 watts (room filling sound)
92 dB @ 16 watts (sympathetic bass vibration at about this point, ie: kick drum attack you can feel)
94 dB @ apprx 22 watts (very loud, have to shout at person next to you)

The Marantz 2220B should have about 1 dB to 2 dB headroom for musical transients
95 dB peak at apprx 30 watts music power with inefficient 86 dB/ 1 watt speakers, med room.

Let's go further.. notice how the power requirement piles up from this point on...
95 dB @ 32 watts
98 dB @ 64 watts (dangerously loud at at full range continuous level for more than 15 minutes, especially music stronger in treble)
101 dB @ 128 watts
104 dB @ 256 watts
107 dB @ 500 watts (insane, probably instantaneous hearing loss if treble is produced at this level, A weighted)
110 dB @ 1000 watts (the original Fender kilo-watt amp introduced in 1969 came with a hearing loss warning hang tag)

A speaker efficiency of 90 dB (such as my first system Pioneer bookshelf speakers) should obtain at 22 watts/ ch, max spl of 98 dB continuous.
Klipsh Heresey at 97 dB/ 1 watt/ 1 meter should produce at 22 watts per channel both speakers driven in a medium sized room, a max spl of 105 dB continuous

 

A drop from 92db to 86 db would be substantial with a 20 watt amp. While the Marantz are conservatively rated, you would not want to drive my 85db Elac's with that amp. My 45 watt amp is barely enough. (a restored 2245 by the way.) And my 2245 tested out at putting out 60 Watts continuously.

Klipsch seems like the obvious answer, plus you can match them to the same era as the vintage Marantz, which adds to the cool factor and number of likes you will get on this forum

 

20wpc ? Is that a headphone amp ? Nah, seriously, you need Klipsch speakers. That's a fairly large room to boot. Then again it'll all boil down to how loud you listen to your music.

 

Enjoy your Marantz. I had a 2270 for decades and loved it.

 

My Marantz 2220b drives low efficiency AR 6's with no problem.

 

You'll be fine. Focal 706V speakers are very nice. Good luck.

 

Sometime you get lucky and discover that you don't need a lot of power to drive speakers. I used to drive a pair of KEF Q1 bookshelves, which were not the most efficient speakers around the block, with a Sonic Impact T-Amp which has a ridiculously low output. I think my torch light has a higher watt than the T-Amp. Of course the T-Amp has its limits but I never got to reach them when using it in the guest room/study.

 

So I ended up purchasing a set of Boston Acoustic CR9 speakers, very cheaply here locally. Efficient at 91db sensitivity. I'm pretty happy with them, though I'm not positive they will be the permanent solution. But they work well and I'm happy...for now.

 

Congrats!

Pics?