I guess it depends on the person. For me, I had 87db speakers with an SS amp that was around 35wpc. It just didn't sound good to me. Even at 1/3 or less of full volume, the speakers sounded thin and lifeless. Then I got an amp that had 175wpc into 8 ohms and 250 into 4. It really made a difference for me. Everything sounded fuller and less strained. Perhaps if I went for a 300-400 wpc amp it would make more difference yet? I don't know. But I'm glad I upgraded in power.
SS amps. Why so much power?
I though that there was so much tube amp talk on this page lately, I'd put up a SS thread. Why do so many people buy the big SS amps that have 200,300,500 watts of power? Is it because the speaker you want is inefficient and you need lots of power, or do you need to play real loud? Or is it a status thing, like my amp's bigger than your amp, or what? Do you buy a big amp first, and then look for a speaker with high power handling? Or do you pick a low efficiency speaker you like and then look for a big amp to drive it? Do you subscribe to the idea that if you have alot of watts, the amp will sound better at lower volumes? I've noticed that the majority of AudiogoNers go with high power SS amps and low efficiency speakers. What gives?