Is powerfull Amps only for low sensitivity speakes?


Dear Friends,
The general amp advice for the speakers 92+ db sensitivity speakers are mostly low power amps and mainly set or pp tube devices. I wonder if you have any experience with a setup of high sensitivity speaker with 100+ watt amplifier. 
My speaker is va sarastro 2 and at the moment driving it with accuphase a60 power amp. I've an opportunuty to buy Arc Gs150 amp with a good deal.
thanks for your comments
obatu

Showing 2 responses by dualmarantz

My experience is that inefficient speakers just never quite sound right to me, regardless of how much power the amp supposedly has. They always sound somewhat sluggish, effortful, leached-out, and, my horror-words in the audiophilic realm: "neutral" (means: bland) and "transparent" (means: thin). 87dB is the lower limit for me, 89dB is better, over 90dB is better. Then I'm free to use tube amps, EL34s, single-ended Alephs, sweet Creeks, integrateds, whatever I want. To low-sensitivity speakers I say "bah, humbug." I've yet to meet a high-wattage amp that honestly sounds really good, and I used to work in a high-end audio salon so I've heard amps that cost up to $25,000/pair. In my mind they just get you back to where you would have been in the first place if you'd gone with speakers of decent efficiency. Just my personal opinion according to the ears attached to my own head, YMMV.
Pairing of speakers with amp is really the key to any system. It's not just efficiency and power, it's clarity at desired volumes, voicing, damping, etc. I've always been of the opinion that you choose, in order: room, desired listening volumes, then speakers, then try different amps until you understand what the different amps are doing, then choose your amp. Bass in-room is the downfall of many an a'phile, most of whom cannot recognize standing waves when they hear the effect. Many audiophiles cannot hear when speakers are wired out of phase!