thanks, I always thought monitors were powered.... these are not?
How many watts per channel is considered optimal for these?
Also, I see there is also a Silk At Monitor.
I see the difference in the woofer. My question is why? The original was called one of the best speaker in the world by Audioholics.
You're thinking of the 'PowerPlay Monitors':
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=PowerPlay%20MonitorsWanted to hear them at Axpona a couple of years ago, but the room was busy and didn't have enough time to wait around for my 'turn'. Definitely a superior approach to speaker design, as nearly every studio professional uses active monitors for recording/mixing.
Regarding optimal wattage for the Silks, I think Jim answered it as definitively as possible. The woofer is rated up to 150 watts, but drivers deal with a brief overload of clean power much better than a rated amount of distorted watts, so always best to oversize the amp. Bottom line is that the output will be limited by the small and low efficiency woofer (no matter how high quality, which by all accounts it is, this is a matter of the laws of physics). Adding a sub would help extend the bass, but can only provide limited help to reach higher sound pressure levels.