Define power hungry...B&W speakers

"I might be missing something here......."

They are easy to drive. (For a powerful amp)

"How much minimum power is necessary, damping factor, etc. What specs are important to me?"

No 2 companies measure their amps exactly the same way. You can have 2 amps rated at 100 watts/ch into 8 ohms and there can be a huge difference between how much power they put out in the real world. You need to take each amp on a case by case basis.

"I hear the phrase "high current", how is that defined?"

It depends on who you ask.

"12-17-14: Tntate
Any answers... Amplifier specs don't really matter then? If specs are so subjective why do manufacturer's post damping factor, slew rates, etc. Where do I go to get a foundation of data, that counts, to begin a short list of amplifiers that meet a minimum criteria."

I didn't say that amp specs don't matter, or that they are subjective. I said that there's no set standard that all of the manufacturers use to measure their amps. There's a big difference. I don't have time now, but I'll post later with more details on what I mean.

Your speakers call for 50 to 125 watts into 8 ohms and their nominal impedance is 8 ohms with a low of 4.6 ohms. Buy an amplifier that has 50 to 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and that is 4 ohm capable. Do that, and the spec sheet on your speakers will match the spec sheet on the amp. Problem solved.

I know exactly what you are looking for when you're asking for amp specs that you can use to make a decision. It definitely makes sense, but it's not going to happen. I'll give you a couple of examples of why that is. One of the more popular specs when it comes to power amps is thd. The designer for brand A may say that for 100 watts into 8 ohms, 2% thd is acceptable amount of distortion. If you give the same exact amp to Company B to rate its power, they may say that 2% is too much distortion for a 100 watt amp into 8 ohms. Maybe they feel anything above 1% is not acceptable. So if that's the case, company B may rate the amp at 75 watts instead. Or they could go the other way and say 3% is OK and give the amp a higher power rating like 125 watts. That's what I'm talking about when I say there's no standard. It explains why you can go into Best Buy and get a 100 watt/channel for $200, and then find a high end company that's selling a 100 watt/channel amp for thousands of dollars.

Another example is what makes up a watt. Watts are volts x amps. 10 amps and 10 volts is 100 watts. 50 volts and 2 amps is 100 watts. 20 volts and 5 amps is 100 watts. You get the picture.

Of course, there's more examples than what I list here. So if you're now thinking, what are you going to do as far as picking an amp? You need a way to go beyond the limitations you now find yourself in with regards to specs. The way you do that is by listening to whatever amps you are considering. Audio a very hands on. You need to listen to as many different components as you can. As you gain experience over time, it gets easier.

Looking at your system, the B&W's are not big floor standing speakers, and your room is not that big either. You really won't have any trouble finding an amp that will work for you. I would be more concerned with sound quality than watts. Also, you mentioned above that B&W recommends a high current amp, and they don't do a good job of defining exactly what that is. Its expected that you'll be working with a dealer that can help you make a selection. Speaker companies usually recommend a high current/powerful amp because they want their speakers to sound good. If you go in under powered, sound quality will suffer. And if that happens, there's always the chance you'll blame the poor sound quality on the speakers, and not the amp.

Here's one more example for you that may help in your selection. You picked your B&W's for a reason. On paper, your CDM 1NT's look like countless other small speakers. You can find another pair of speakers of a similar design and specs, and for much less than what you spent on them. The reason you went for the B&W's is because you like the way they sound. You took the necessary step, and crossed over from the objective to the subjective. If you didn't do that, you couldn't justify the purchase. It's the same thing with any other component. If you set some goals as to what you expect from a new amp or integrated amp as far as sound quality, it will be a great help. You can still make a mistake, but you lower the chances. Try not to worry too much about the specs. I think you easily have the ability to make a sensible choice as to how powerful an amp you need. If you're not sure, just post what ever amp you are considering, and someone here should be able to tell you if it will drive your speakers, or not.

One last thing. Don't get sucked into the cable trap. Cables do make a difference, but so many people put way too much money into cables when it could have been used to buy better components. Not only that, but if you get good components and match them well, cable choice is very easy.