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Watts! How many do we need?

Got a new amp. Accuphase P-4600. It’s great. I love it. 
150 watts into 8 ohms, 300 watts into 4 ohms and it has meters so I can see wattage. Have them set on freeze so I can see the highest wattage during the session.

My Harbeth speakers are not very efficient. Around 86db. Their impedance is an even 6 ohms dipping no lower than 5.8 ohms. 

Playing HiRes dynamic classical recordings  ( Tchaikovsky , Mahler) at room filling volumes I have yet to exceed 1watt.. 

Amps today offer a lot of watts some going to 600 even 1200 watts. Even if you have inefficient speakers with an impedance that dips down to 2 ohms do we need all this wattage or should we be focusing on current instead? 

jfrmusic

Showing 2 responses by tjjunk

tjjunk
12 posts
 

I keep going down in watts. I do have high-efficiency Klipsch Cornwalls.

My amp voyage has been....

NAD M23 200 wpc

to 

Threshold CAS1 75 wpc

to

Manley Stringray switchable between 20 wpc (triode) or 40 wpc (ultra-linear) 

 

All have sounded great, but each has been a step up in quality; in my opinion.

I love the sound of the Manley in ultra-linear mode.

 

 

 

tjjunk
12 posts
 

FYI

there are several Stringrays at a good price here in Audiogon.

as well as a great pair of Snappers; if you have a little extra and want 100wpc.

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