Is more amp power always better...?


Hello.  

Asking advice on what power Amp/int amp I should buy for my room size...

I have a small listening room.  11' x 10'. I have 89db speaker sensitivity  I am going to buy a solid state amp.   

For best audio quality (ignoring all other factors), my question is:  

Do folks advise "Buy as much watts per channel as you can afford"?  -OR- "Buy enough watts for the room" as more watts in reserve do not mean better quality audio?

Put another way: are more watts in reserve better for audio quality, even if amp does not use this power?  

Thank you...hope this was clear.  

dunkin

Your speakers are not highly sensitive so going with higher power isn’t a problem, and the less hard an amp needs to work the better. In your case with your speakers and in your room I’d think anything 75Wpc+ should be fine, and I’d focus more on what type of sound characteristics you’re looking for and let that be your primary guide. The only caveat would be if your speaker’s impedance drops below 4 Ohms, then you want an amp with a more robust power supply to comfortably handle the dip(s). In this case and as a very general guideline, the amp should be able to put out at least 50% more power into 4 Ohms versus 8 Ohms. Hope this helps, and best of luck

Wattage doesn’t equal audio quality.

All things being equal/ assuming you have 2 exact amplifiers (other than their wattage output), the one that puts out more power, say twice as much is going to give you better audio quality. It will not strain as much and will have better headroom and dynamics for a specific output level. Picture a 4-cylinder car versus an 8-cylinder car going up a steep hill.

Keep in mind that most amplifiers are performing at their best sound quality around 15-30 watts of output, regardless of their maximum/ rated wattage output. It’s when you go past those 15-30 watts that thing begin to change. This can be seen on a graph from manufacturers that publish that information or individuals that perform tests and publish them online.

I would concentrate more on the "sound characteristics/ signature" of an amplifier more than on wattage, but if you can have and afford both the sound signature and the wattage, why not?

For what it’s worth, I very rarely exceed more than a few watts (literally) on any of my systems, but have several hundred and even thousands of watts on a couple of them waiting to be used when and if I get that urge to crank up some music, although my desire to do that has diminished with age.

 

My advice is not to focus exclusively on the watts. A lot of mediocre amps are made to meet a big spec, but not necessarily play well in a system. A better amp and bigger amp aren't necessarily the same thing. All watts are not created equal. You will want an amp that sounds great to you....to do that you’ll need enough clean power to play to the levels you like in your room with your speakers, and that’s always a variable.

I’ve gone the gamut of a big Hafler amp at 255wpc down to a smallish tube amp @ 17wpc triode (on average sensitvity speakers in a large space). I do have a subwoofer, but the main speakers play plenty loud with the small amps, and sound wonderful doing it.

All things being equal, having some power in reserve is a good thing, but power is a poor indicator of how it’ll sound to you. Aim for quality watts with a sufficient power supply and circuit that’ll overcome the obstacles your system poses, hopefully within budget. (used can help cut premium costs down)

 All the specs. of an amp can help determine whether it is a good fit, but in my opinion the signal to noise and wattage will determine your headroom. For dynamic listening you must have headroom and that will take wattage.