[DMurphy]

Please excuse the off-topic post, but you guys seem really into amplifiers for home theater, and I'm working on a project here at the Federal Trade Commssion that could be affected by the answer to the question I'm going to ask.  Are any of you aware of a HT receiver or multichannel separate amplifier that does not have the same power output (however measured) for the center and/or surround channels as for the main left and right channels?  Like maybe there are cheaper in-a-box systems that would have less power for the surrounds? Or maybe there are some high end or even popular units that have a different spec for the center or surrounds?  Thanks for any help you can give me.    Dennis

[Big Red Machine]

Dennis, the Wyred multichannel amps come in varying wattages and many Adcom amps also.  Those are just off the top of my head.

A random grab:  http://www.wyred4sound.com/webapps/site/74030/117839/shopping/shopping-view.html?pid=332928&b_id=&find_groupid=18048

Other brands do this with the added capability of bridging some channels so you get a 2, 3, 4 or 5 channel amp from a 7 channel amp.  Lexicon has done it and I think Theta does as well.

[Nuance]

Dennis, the Emotiva LPA-1 has a different wattage rating for the rear(s):

Configurable power output as follows:
125 watts/8 ohms x 6 channels or 125 watts/8 ohms x 5 channels plus 2 x 50 watts/8 ohms x 2 channels 

Dennis, are you able to share what project you're working on?

[MaxCast]

Carver av405 = 5-Channel Home Theatre Amp - 100W Left/Right, 110W Center, 50W Rear.

Many of the early ht amps when dolby pro-logic came out had unequal power to the 5 channels.

[rcandiog]

Yamaha receivers have done this for quite a while.  Their old RX-V2092 was 100w per channel for the fronts and surrounds with 25w per channel for the effects speakers.  In their current lineup, the RX-Z11 is 140W x 7 + 50W x 4.

Rob

[oneinthepipe]

Dennis:

Is this advertised power?  This is a different question, I assume, than about a multi-channel receiver that is advertised @ 200 watts, but when tested, the amplifier only produces 200 watts per channel into one or two channels rather than the entirety of channels?

[Srgtfury]

Dennis, the Emotiva LPA-1 has a different wattage rating for the rear(s):

Configurable power output as follows:
125 watts/8 ohms x 6 channels or 125 watts/8 ohms x 5 channels plus 2 x 50 watts/8 ohms x 2 channels 

Dennis, are you able to share what project you're working on?

With the Post # 666 and the FTC aligning, it probably involves some really deep passages.

Thank you very much

Fury

[Tone Depth]

This project may have to do with truth in advertising of rated RMS power to all channels continuously, over a frequency band of 20Hz - 20kHz at 8 ohms specification requirement.

Dennis, the Emotiva LPA-1 has a different wattage rating for the rear(s):

Configurable power output as follows:
125 watts/8 ohms x 6 channels or 125 watts/8 ohms x 5 channels plus 2 x 50 watts/8 ohms x 2 channels 

Dennis, are you able to share what project you're working on?

[DMurphy]

666   Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Spooooky.    Anyhow, this has to do with truth.  But I can't say what truth.  But thanks for the replies--you saved me a whole lotta work trying to come up with a useable Google key word.  You've told me what I needed to know--it's not very common, but unequal ratings do occur. 

[doug s.]

666   Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Spooooky.    Anyhow, this has to do with truth.  But I can't say what truth.  But thanks for the replies--you saved me a whole lotta work trying to come up with a useable Google key word.  You've told me what I needed to know--it's not very common, but unequal ratings do occur.

maybe not as common in audiophile gear, but i'd wager that w/gear designed for the masses, multi-channel-amped gear, (including receivers), unequal power ratings in the same unit are more common than not...

here's a high-end amp that allows plug-in modules for different power ratings - either a 225w mono amp module, or a stereo 100wpc amp module for each of five module slots:

http://www.ultimateavmag.com/amplifiers/104theta/

doug s.