Amplifier's Amps?

If I'm not mistaken, the figure you see on the back panel of an amplifier (and I'll use an 80 watt Marantz 16) is power consumtion: 300 watts. In other words, this amplifier consumes 300 watts of ac input to produce 80 watts audio output. I'm assuming this may be a class A amplifier. The least efficient in terms of power consumption. You may also see wattage for accessory outlets. Not the same thing.

Mechans - I see, so what you're saying is that more amps would benefit power hungry speakers like a pair of Maggies but other more efficient speakers wouldn't benefit because they're easier to "drive"?

Rlwainright - It is an awesome amp, very impressed for its perfomance in my system. I had an opportunity to pick up the Parasound at a favorable amount and couldn't pass it up. I'm wondering if I should hold onto the Sig as a backup amp or sell it

Amps are not the usual measure of an amplifier but the slew rate and peak current capacity are meaningful. Certain speaker draw a lot of current "amps" and a well designed amplifier can produce them quickly. Is that the answer you wanted. I got the sense that you wondered how an amplifier works which is a slightly longer tale, and different if SS withe their transresistors or the tube amp which is valve like in it's behavior. So after all that more information needed>

Those ratings refer to short term peak amps. Not continuous amps. It could mean the 100 amp has a bigger power supply and will have a little more head room.. I do not feel that these peak current ratings really means to much. Depends how they are measured.
Alan

I had one of those amps, I really liked it! It had good dynamics and a beefy bottom-end. I attribute those qualities to the hi-current design. H/K has been making ultrawide bandwidth, hi-current amps for quite some time and the Sig. 2.1 is a very good amp and dead-silent, no fan...

-RW-