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Is there any truth to this question?

Will a lower powered amp that can drive your speakers, in your room, listening to the music you like sound better than using a powerful amp to avoid clipping?

Here's the scenario: Use a 50 w YBA amp to drive 86 db efficient Vandersteens in a 10 x 12 room, listening to jazz or

Will a 200 w Krell or such sound better and more effortless.

Some say buy all the power you can afford and others say the bigger amps have more component pairs ie) transistors to match and that can effect sound quality.
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Showing 1 response by wynnosu

wynnosu's avatar
wynnosu
23 posts
 
I have had similarly inefficient speakers, the Magnepan Tympanis, the 3.3s and now the 3.7s. I first heard the Tympanis with an ARC D79 and they sounded wonderful but needed more power. Same thing with the 3.3s and a VAC 65 watt amp.

I switched to a McCormack DNA Power Drive 1 and had much better results although they didn't have the openness and bloom I had come to expect with a tube amp. The 3.7s are driven with an Audio Research VT200 and they need the 200 watts per side.

I would never go back to a smaller amp, no matter how sweet they may sound at lower listening levels.
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