enough amplifier power


I am curious as to why so many people think that their amplifiers are powerful enough for their speakers. I use a Yamamoto A-08S--around 1.5 watts output. I use it with a Fostex F-106ESR. The combination is a little ragged at low volumes, but beautifully immediate. Distorts awfully at anything approaching a decent volume. I see people using 20-100 watt amplifiers with medium efficiency loudspeakers. I do not see how this can work any better. If you work out the math, most loudspeakers need 200-500 watts minimum. That is not even taking into account low impedance loudspeakers. Do people not know what distortion sounds like? Or, compression either, for that matter? Please enlighten me.
hedwigstheme

Showing 1 response by sgreg1

There is so much more to an amps power than watts per channel. WPC is an output equation that is a result of everything else going on under the hood. There are 500 wpc amps that won’t drive a 90 db speaker and then there are 10 wpc amps that will make the same speaker sing with no distortion. Thus your question is to simplistic for an in-depth conversation of what makes an amp an amp. For starter go read white papers on the difference between class a class a-b and class d amplification designs. Then come back with your question of what amp will drive my speakers!