2. amps-preamps
  3. 181407-144057

Too much power?

I have a wonderful system with a great amplifier, and yet auditioned a more powerful version of the same amp. It indeed seemed to have more punch and drive, but at the expense of playing it a bit too loud. As my current system I rarely play over 70 db, since it’s perfect at low levels. I wonder other than bragging rights, what does more power get you? Since we aren’t here for PA style sound, is there a reasonable limit to how much you will benefit from higher power/ more expensive and? Especially since tire just using one watt most of the time?

dain

Showing 1 response by ditusa

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ditusa
1,934 posts
 

@dain,

At 70dB SPL your speakers are not getting 1 watt or 2 watts or 10 watts, in fact they are not even getting 1/2 watt. At 70dB SPL your speakers are getting milliwatts from the amp. In my experience driving low efficiency speakers with milliwatts will sound anemic at low volume; high efficiency speakers can play well with milliwatts and not sound anemic at low volume. Also amplifiers, tube amplifiers and SS amps produce more distortion in lower impedances then higher impedances. In my opinion, higher efficiency (not higher sensitivity) and higher impedance speakers make more sense then a more powerful amp. 😎
Hope that helps. See article below:

Mike

@mulveling Wrote:

You should definitely subscribe to the "First Watt" philosophy.

I agree!

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