Ineed some help with a simple math equation


I have an amp with 29 dB gain with power output at 400, will this be bettered by an amp with 26 dB gain and 500 output? I'd like to have the extra 100 for my Thiel 3.6, which eat power like they are eating peanuts.
Thanks
Bill
bill10907
bill10907 and gs5556

good to read that both of you guys enjoy Thiel speakers.
Please check out and join in the Thiel Owners Thread discussion
(under Speakers section). We all would enjoy reading about your Audio gear and musical journeys.

Happy Listening!
Your preamp will likely breath a little easier with the 400w/29dB gain amp if the amp's input impedance is equal on both amps. 
Almarg, Kijanki, eric_squires, gs5556, Jafant, bpoletti. Thanks for weighing in. I appreciate it, as I have a decent technical mind, but with sound and waves I'd say I'm out to lunch. Plus, I think the math just got harder. Here is some more info. The 400 and 500 is at 4 ohms. One is a classe amp CA-2200 (400 with 100K input impedance). The other amp is Pass Labs X250.5 (500 with 20K input impedance). My room is 20 x 24 and carpeted. I have the room set up with speakers at 5ft from the back wall and about 5ft from each side wall. The room has three windows, each covered with a matchstick blind as a difuser. Each side window is also protected by a 2x3 absorber hanging from the ceiling to block first reflection waves.
The pre is an ARC Ref 3. After the system and my ears are warmed up, I can take the "loudness" to 75%, after that, I think the sound starts to.... say, break apart a bit. So with the Pass, I'm hoping for 1. a slightly better amp and 2. just a little push in the "snap" (e.g., drumstick on drum skin), such as what you get with live music, at home when your stereo is loud enough, but without the distortion you get with live music (usually venue dependent).
Bill,

Re: your last paragraph, the source has a lot to do with those sound attributes. Usually a DAC or cartridge with superior resolution and detail (but not of the hashy sounding "false-resolution" variety) will deliver on that.  Also, I find that listening at lower volumes with such sources is equally, or more, satisfying and involving compared to lesser resolving sources at higher volumes, making the criticality of ultimate power (but not quality) from my amplifier to deliver eardrum-rattling SPLs less important.  

Dave
Dave,
I agree. I play vinyl using a Clearaudio Stradivari II cartridge on a their Performance SE via an ARC PH8. I want music from my main system is a physical in-your-chest experience.