2. amps-preamps
  3. 187783-71961

A little deeper on amp power please....

If somebody could elaborate on exactly how a higher watt amp will improve the sound of speakers (lower sensitivity speakers that “need” power).  More specifically, I get that when the nature of the recording and the volume setting demand an immediate spike in power, an amp that delivers the spike will perform better than one that does not.  But when I used to have an amp with output meters, it would be in single digits for most normal listening, and I don’t recall what a spike would have been - I want to say 15 or 20 watts.  What I am scratching at is whether there is something more to power, i.e. the notion that the effortless power of, say, a 300 watt amp would somehow be an improvement over an otherwise similar 75 watt amp…even if a spike is just 20 watts.  Hope the question make sense.

mathiasmingus

Showing 2 responses by carlsbad2

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,384 posts
 

I'm using a 2 wpc amp right now with great success.  I've been told that the "rule of thumb" is that you need 20dB headroom which means that if I'm listening at 70dB, I should have enough power available to go to 90 dB just for the extremely loud parts.  I think they are especially referring to classical music that has tremendous variations in volume.  That said, my 2 wpc amp will indeed play much louder than I need it to.

So I've been thinking about it quite a bit and critically listening to my system, trying to find a weakness at higher volume. And I can't.

I'll keep reading this thread but I think there are 2 reasons people say this:  1.  It is natural to feel more secure having more power than you need.  2.  Cheap amps that were overrated in the first place and probably has nothing to do with us here.

I'm sure my skepticism will inspire replies.  I'm open minded.

Jerry

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,384 posts
 

I forgot to mention, I agree current capability of the amp is more important. --Jerry

More to discover