Outdoor audio and high wattage speakers

[djvj]

I want to build a music player for my deck and going to go with these speakers, which are 100w:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/polk-audio ... Id=5641007

Is there an amp or amp/DAC for the pi that can support 100w? Highest I found so far is 60w by highfiberry, but that leaves the speakers too underpowered.

[drgeoff]

I want to build a music player for my deck and going to go with these speakers, which are 100w:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/polk-audio ... Id=5641007

Is there a DAC for the pi that can support 100w? Highest I found so far is 60w by highfiberry, but that leaves the speakers too underpowered.

A DAC is a DAC and a power amplifier is a power amplifier. A DAC is not a power amplifier and a power amplifier is not a DAC.

Having said that there is nothing which prevents a unit containing both a DAC and a power amplifier. However if a suitable combination in one unit is not available there is recourse to two units. One containing a DAC and one containing a power amplifier.

[djvj]

I meant Amp. I've been looking at both but mis-typed in my OP. Basically just looking for the pi solution that will power those speakers properly.

[Imperf3kt]

The rating on the speakers is their maximum rating, not their nominal rating. You can drive the speakers with an amp capable of anything up to 100W, provided 100W is their RMS rating and not the peak rating.

I personally think the 60W would probably be enough. I've experimented with a 5W (2.5W per channel) amplifier connected to my Pi driving 4 Ohm, 30W speakers and at high volumes with just a single speaker it was easily audible from outside, having two rooms between the speaker and outside.

Of course, this is my opinion, you are free to disagree.

[djvj]

Thanks for the info!

I can try that Amp2 board, but I don't want to use the soundcard built onto the pi either. I assume I'd need to buy the DAC for it as well, but can both of them be mounted on the pi at the same time? I don't see much in pics or guides showing this. Or is that Amp2 board also providing it's own DAC as well and that's all I need?

[mrreality13]

if your here in the us look here.
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/audio ... PortalID=1

[Burngate]

The rating on the speakers is their maximum rating, not their nominal rating. You can drive the speakers with an amp capable of anything up to 100W, provided 100W is their RMS rating and not the peak rating.

Delving deeper into the specs for those speakers, it seems they're each 50W RMS.
Given they're 8Ω nominal, that means they need maximum 20V RMS, 28V peak to fully drive them.

The HiFiBerry DAC & amp could take up to 24V for its power supply, so in theory could give 36W RMS to each speaker.
But that, of course, assumes you like listening to sine waves.

[LTolledo]

as posted on another topic

One RPiZeroW
with Pimoroni pHAT DAC
2.4A PSU
WiFi connection to network
connected to 2 units of 4-speaker capable 600W RMS amp,
also connected to another unit of 5-speaker 300W RMS amp

that's my "Party Animal RPi"

can add more amps if I want to....

the "connected" means hard wired ....using RCA cables.....

[timinski]

I have set up systems here in Canada for myself and friends using the HiFiberry Amp2. The sound is wonderful.

As previously mentioned by others, the Amp2 is both a DAC and a power amp rated to 60W / channel. Currently listening to one powering two Pioneer SP-F552 towers rated at 6ohms. Beautiful sound. I almost never crank it to full as it's just too loud.

The audio app I use is piCorePlayer and for my library I use Logitech Media Server. Multiroom sync works like a charm.

Good luck!