[The Pook]

for what? on a desk as part of a PC setup or in the living room as part of an HTPC setup or what?

Type: 12" 3-Way (12", 4", 1")
Frequency Response: 28Hz - 22kHz
Power Handling: 5/250 watts
Sensitivity: 97db
Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms
Crossover Points: 300Hz, 6kHz
Dimensions: 32" x 16.5" x 14.75"
Weight: 57 lbs. each

they're pretty efficient so if they're going on a desk you don't need much to make them loud, my speakers are way less efficient at 83dB and I'm driving it with a ~100W RMS Klipsch PowerGate and @ 100% it's uncomfortably loud.

if you're putting them in the living room as part of an HTPC setup a full size receiver might make more sense and you might get more volume out of it but it'd be overkill as a desk setup.

 

[Diffident]

I have a pair of those that are now stored in my "junk room". They were "bad ass" in their day. Anything will power them. To get the most out of them you need to crank some Iron Maiden, it even said so in the manual.

 

[ozlay]

HTPC but i was going to use a dac. I might go for the Klipsch PowerGate.

I have a pair of those that are now stored in my "junk room". They were "bad ass" in their day. Anything will power them. To get the most out of them you need to crank some Iron Maiden, it even said so in the manual.

That is what i want to use them for.

 

[BinaryBummer]

look at the speakers ratings and Freqs..

I mean sound is subjective to each. There are many reviews out there. to decide on a Amplifier is a stand alone unit, now if you want a DAC then it is a different beast.

You wan ta Amplifier, or a integrated amplifier, a streaming DAC with amplifier etc. There is so much out there, but it comes down to a few things. Budget and what sound you are seeking.

You are probably looking at spending way more then the speakers are worth as well, but that is OK being it becomes an investment if you want to be a audiophile. The overall tone and build quality makes it all happen.

Klipsch speakers are rather out front or in the face, where as some speakers brands are middy or boomy, or airy.
So what are your speaker designed and what are you expecting from them. it becomes subjective.
I think all of us can tell you at least three or more product to recommend, but it isn't you. Let us point you maybe and you research it. Look at the inside build the parts the stages, then the actual sound that is described by some reviewers.

The DAC's i these Amps can also be good or not so good so it requires much study into the differences can be.

If you have the money, you can try to find a outlet that can let you try it for a bit to see if you are happy with it. PS Audio has a program now that you can do such and IF you decide to buy it you can later trade it in as well for a upgrade should you decide.
As with most is it a consumer grade component or is it a pro grade component.

I mean you could probably just use a good piece of receiver from years back. Huge Transformer big power section, old pioneer Elite with a Bur Brown DAC or Denon or Marantz, Onkyo etc. Just be sure it has a working remote with it.

You might have to consider how well those Cerwins will perform after all those years. For me I would be gentile with them and let the slowly build back up before letting them breath. Many of those old greats fail somehow, Woofers go a lot of the time, but consider even a upgrade on the crossovers some day.
No matter be sure you allow ventilation to your amp no matter.
If some background noise isn't a bother you can run a open design Laptop fan to keep air moving to.

 

[Shawnb99]

Without a budget I'd suggest

https://wooaudio.com/amplifiers/wa234mono

 

[BinaryBummer]

Without a budget I'd suggest

https://wooaudio.com/amplifiers/wa234mono

Really I would not even hook a wire from those to a CV set of speakers that old.. Liable to damage the amps!

 

[Fight Game]

yamaha makes great amplifier/receivers in the mid range budget. I've had a few different ones in the mid range over the years, pioneer, sony, denon, then when i tried a yamaha, I havent changed. My next 2 after that were also yamaha and I couldn't be happier....without spending ALOT more. and btw, I also have two 10" cerwin vega towers. and two 15" technics towers, thats I've replaced the subs with JL Audio 15w6's that I had in an old car build. If I remember correctly, this yamaha amp is 110watts a channel at 8 ohm, but is 2 ohm capable, and higher wattage at that level.

 

[BinaryBummer]

yamaha makes great amplifier/receivers in the mid range budget. I've had a few different ones in the mid range over the years, pioneer, sony, denon, then when i tried a yamaha, I havent changed. My next 2 after that were also yamaha and I couldn't be happier....without spending ALOT more. and btw, I also have two 10" cerwin vega towers. and two 15" technics towers, thats I've replaced the subs with JL Audio 15w6's that I had in an old car build. If I remember correctly, this yamaha amp is 110watts a channel at 8 ohm, but is 2 ohm capable, and higher wattage at that level.

might want to look at some crossover upgrade for those old things.. Caps may get lifeless over time. There are a numbers of places that do upgrades to them but they probably cost you more then you want to pay.
In the end it is preference. There is just so much to choose from these days.

 

[Fight Game]

that's good advice for sure, but I'm covered. I didn't need the passive crossovers I got with a boston acoustics pro set for my car a few years back so I'm using those. actually I think it's going through both. I know when I disconnected every other speaker and turned the subs up, I didn't hear much in the middle at all.

 

[JustinThyme]

Really I would not even hook a wire from those to a CV set of speakers that old.. Liable to damage the amps!

Ive found that most good Vintage speakers will far out perform what is made today. You just need to make sure the drivers are intact and count on the fact you will have to rework the crossovers which is just replacing old capacitors and doesnt cost much and not much time.
I dare you to even attempt to do better than these that were made in 1986.

Polk SDA SRS 65 inches tall (Im only 4 inches tall than the cabinets) and 180 lbs each (25 lbs more than me) with 15 inch woofer, 8X 6.5 inch mids and 4x SL2000 tweeters in each cabinet. Here is a photo when I first acquired them. They actually played just fine but a rework on the crossovers woke them up. They have far more presence than my latest flag ship L800s (you can see in the back ground that are dwarfed by these monsters) as they should with that many speakers and the 1000W per channel driving them Bi-amped from an Emotive XPR-5 that puts out 600WPC all channels driven so thats 1200W to each speaker.

How much power is available doesnt mean that all that will go to the speakers. They will pull what they will pull. Best practice is to find the point where they start to distort and set a volume limit. I havent had to with the Polks. These are by the best sounding speakers I have and they are 36 years old!! SDA technology is a different beast that can old be found in certain Polk models. Half of the mids are what you are listening to and the other half is controlled by the crossovers and an interconnect cable that cancels cross aural cross talk. So what comes out of the left channel you hear with your left ear and vice versa for the right. You dont hear whats coming from the right channel with you left ear. Totally different soundstage.