2. amps-preamps
  3. 153225-130247

Watts and power

Can somebody break it down in layman's terms for me? Why is it that sometimes an amp that has a high watt rating (like, say, a lot of class D amps do) don't seem to always have the balls that much lower rated A or AB amps do? I have heard some people say, "It's not the watts, it's the power supply." Are they talking about big honkin' toroidal transformers? I know opinions vary on a speaker like, say, Magnepans - Maggies love power, right? A lot of people caution against using class D amps to drive them and then will turn around and say that a receiver like the Outlaw RR2160 (rated at 110 watts into 8 ohms) drives Maggies really well! I'm not really asking about differences between Class D, A, or AB so much as I am asking about how can you tell the POWER an amp has from the specs? 
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Showing 1 response by dwmaggie

dwmaggie
222 posts
 
I really like my Magnepans.  From the on wall version up to the MGCIII(needs factory repair).  After 15 years of trying to get them to sound best.  For me hi current 200wpc amps work best.  Went from old school BGWs to MTX Soundcraftsman to JBL Synthesis to Acurus to Denon POA 6600.  I am now happy with a Digital Amp Co 4800a.  Tried a high power tube amp along the way, also.

Each amp has slightly different sound characteristics, they all do the same job-just differently.  The Denon seems to have a lock on tight accurate bass.  I am saving my money for a pair of Digital Amp Co Cherries.  The ones that can hang off the back of the speaker, They look like pretty little rats in the company pix.


Thank you millercarbon and almarge, just wished I had your engineering knowledge.  
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