High current output has become nothing more than an advertising buzzword. There is NO "official" guideline or spec that says "this one is high current and this one is not". Even published specs for such things can EASILY be manipulated to make the biggest piece of junk look "killer". The FTC test procedure does not cover this area, so it is a VERY "grey area" at best.
While this is a VERY rudimentary method, one way to tell if an amp is relatively "high current" is to look at the power output at 8 ohms and then compare that to the power output rating at 4 ohms. The power should increase VERY noticeably as impedance is lowered, sometimes to the point of doubling as impedance is cut in half ( commonly called "doubling down").
This can be deceiving though as some manufacturers play games with the power figures. Some tend to stretch the rating at 8 ohms to the max ( as that is what most people look at ). The figure at 4 ohms will not look as impressive in cases like this since the 8 ohm figure and 4 ohm figure may not differ as much as you would think. On the other hand, some manufacturers will purposely LOWER output ratings at 8 ohms. This will typically let them get away with showing that the amp "doubles down", making it a theoretical "perfect voltage source". On top of that, de-rating the amp also makes it seem "built like a tank" for the lower wattage rating and allows a greater dynamic headroom rating. This can give the appearance of a "very punchy" or "very powerful" amp for the rating or "wattage class". Kind of like stuffing a high performance V8 engine into a Chevette and calling it an "economy car" simply because it is small. Appearances ( and ratings ) can be QUITE deceiving.
The bottom line is this: Can a specific amplifier drive a specific set of speakers to the required volume levels that you would like to attain in a specific sized room and do it cleanly ? Regardless of all of the "hoopla" and "press" that specific models get, the only way to tell is to try them and see. Different types of acoustic environments, listening styles and types of music will produce varying results in each situation.
Besides this, some people have different ideas about what "loud" is, have different ideas about what "good control" in an amp / speaker interface is and have different ideas / levels of experience as to what is a "good match". For instance, some people think that 100 dB's is absolutely cranking and others find this to be "the starting point" for lifelike concert level reproduction. Others think that "high volume" equates with "high performance". Only you know what you want and expect out of a system. While finding someone ( a "regular" that posts on various audio forums, a reviewer, a local dealer, an internet friend, etc... ) that shares common likes and dislikes can be a great way to compare notes, there is only one set of ears that hears EXACTLY what you hear. Those are YOURS.
Regardless of brands, look for something that sounds good to you and will EASILY run at the SPL that you want it to. This means both the amplifier AND the speakers. They may or may not be "audiophile approved" or "high current", but so long as it makes you happy when listening to music, that is all that counts. Sean
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While this is a VERY rudimentary method, one way to tell if an amp is relatively "high current" is to look at the power output at 8 ohms and then compare that to the power output rating at 4 ohms. The power should increase VERY noticeably as impedance is lowered, sometimes to the point of doubling as impedance is cut in half ( commonly called "doubling down").
This can be deceiving though as some manufacturers play games with the power figures. Some tend to stretch the rating at 8 ohms to the max ( as that is what most people look at ). The figure at 4 ohms will not look as impressive in cases like this since the 8 ohm figure and 4 ohm figure may not differ as much as you would think. On the other hand, some manufacturers will purposely LOWER output ratings at 8 ohms. This will typically let them get away with showing that the amp "doubles down", making it a theoretical "perfect voltage source". On top of that, de-rating the amp also makes it seem "built like a tank" for the lower wattage rating and allows a greater dynamic headroom rating. This can give the appearance of a "very punchy" or "very powerful" amp for the rating or "wattage class". Kind of like stuffing a high performance V8 engine into a Chevette and calling it an "economy car" simply because it is small. Appearances ( and ratings ) can be QUITE deceiving.
The bottom line is this: Can a specific amplifier drive a specific set of speakers to the required volume levels that you would like to attain in a specific sized room and do it cleanly ? Regardless of all of the "hoopla" and "press" that specific models get, the only way to tell is to try them and see. Different types of acoustic environments, listening styles and types of music will produce varying results in each situation.
Besides this, some people have different ideas about what "loud" is, have different ideas about what "good control" in an amp / speaker interface is and have different ideas / levels of experience as to what is a "good match". For instance, some people think that 100 dB's is absolutely cranking and others find this to be "the starting point" for lifelike concert level reproduction. Others think that "high volume" equates with "high performance". Only you know what you want and expect out of a system. While finding someone ( a "regular" that posts on various audio forums, a reviewer, a local dealer, an internet friend, etc... ) that shares common likes and dislikes can be a great way to compare notes, there is only one set of ears that hears EXACTLY what you hear. Those are YOURS.
Regardless of brands, look for something that sounds good to you and will EASILY run at the SPL that you want it to. This means both the amplifier AND the speakers. They may or may not be "audiophile approved" or "high current", but so long as it makes you happy when listening to music, that is all that counts. Sean
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