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How many watts??

If I have a 80 watt stereo amp and I normally listen at quarter volume and never play at levels higher than this. Do I really need 80 watts could I use a 15 watt amp at half volume?

My next question if I have speakers that my mfg states needs min 50 watts to really make them sound good with my current amp rated at 80 watts but played at qtr volume does that mean I am not really getting the best from these speakers. If I play at half volume this is too loud, do I need a bigger room. Sorry if I did not explain clearly enough.


ecpninja

Showing 8 responses by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
liquidsound you seem to have done extensive research. I was wondering if you would be able to calculate for me how many watts can dance on the head of a pin?
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Yup. What he said.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
millercarbon:
The great Robert Harley famously said, "If the first watt isn't any good why would you want 200 more of them?"    

This is wisdom.

Well I guess you did say "almost" all.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Yes I once read an op Ed from a audiophile who stated that the sign of a good system was to see how low you could play the volume and still have it sound good.
 Not the other way around.

That's interesting. Because I heard a system one time so bad it gave me a headache. Literally had a headache driving home afterwards. It only sounded good when turned down to where you could hardly hear it. Okay frankly did not sound good even then. Turned off, then at least the room sounded pretty good. So I guess by your standard this was a really good system?
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
More than likely it is a combination of a little bit of all of those things. Detail and resolution are not just the ability to make sound fast, they are equally the ability to end sound fast. Every single component in the chain contributes in some way or other.     


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
The great Robert Harley famously said, "If the first watt isn't any good why would you want 200 more of them?"   

This is wisdom. We have heard the amp with fewer watts sound much better in every way than the amp with more watts, over and over again. Not always! Not saying lower power is better. Not saying there are no really good sounding high power amps. Simply saying watts are not the reason. 



millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
What he said.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Sorry, but the speaker manufacturers and hi-fi world in general have fed you so full of irrelevant BS it is easier to just ask, what is that you have now, and what are you trying to do?
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