QuestionHi Jerry...I would like to know if I would need an amp or amplified speakers for a hotel room with about 500 people using my laptop for music. Would the receiver take the place of the amp? Also, aren't there small speakers that would put out sufficient sound for a room that size?
AnswerRead this first for an overview I did for a similar question:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Audio-Systems-835/2009/1/Hooking-Laptop-Large-Speaker...
"I would like to know if I would need an amp or amplified speakers for a hotel room with about 500 people using my laptop for music."
It all depends on how loud you want the system to be but I would say probably. ^^
If you want it to be adequate and not too punchy or really loud, I would suggest a 60-100 Watt RMS stereo component amp (not a reciever unless it has a way to send a direct preamped signal [your Laptop soundcard output] to the reciever amplifier section) and a couple of home speakers.
"Would the receiver take the place of the amp?"
Which reciever would that be?
"Also, aren't there small speakers that would put out sufficient sound for a room that size"
Again, your desired average SPL/volume will be the main issue.
If the other answer I linked to does not fix you up, tell me exactly what you have to work with now and what you are going to amplify..(canned music or live voice/mic) then I can help you decide what will be cheapest and most effective.
