What does moving from a 150 watt amp to a 400 watt amp get you?

Robertjason75, to add to Willemj’s questions and comments, as I alluded to in the last paragraph of my lengthy post yesterday I don’t think that for most listeners the capability of cleanly producing 105 db peaks at the listening position is necessary on most or all of their recordings. And I believe that a majority of audiophiles do not have systems providing that capability.

And even though as I mentioned I listen to a lot of classical symphonic recordings that have been engineered with minimal or no compression, and consequently have extremely wide dynamic range, that I listen to at average volume levels of perhaps 75 db or so, there are relatively few recordings in my collection which will reach brief dynamic peaks in the area of 105 db. (In addition to basing that conclusion on SPL measurements I have performed using a Radio Shack digital SPL meter set for fast response and C-weighting, I have used a professional audio editing program on a computer to examine the waveforms of some of the widest dynamic range recordings in my collection. Doing so readily allows me to determine the full amplitude of even the briefest high volume transients, and compare it to the average level of the recording).

So without knowing what kinds of recordings you listen to, or the answers to Willem’s questions, my guess is that you don’t have a problem.

Regards,
-- Al

Thr increase in power might offer more driver protection from amplifier clipping.

Thanks all for the incredibly helpful information (even the humorous responses!).  It is doubly dangerous to be armed with science AND personal experiences.  

Nutty / Aalenik - I'm using an ARC Ref5SE preamp currently.  It took me about a week, maybe more of long listening sessions to fall in love with it.  Initially I was a bit disappointed in the changes in moving from the K-5Xe - but by the end of two weeks couldn't move back.  

Overall I'm pretty pleased with the way things are sounding now.  Occasionally there is a bit of harshness in some of the highs - but it is minor.  The best systems I have heard make me want to keep nudging the volume up as I listen.  Mine seems to have a point at which louder is not better.  I don't think I'm listening at ear-splitting levels mind you - generally when listening "loud" it rarely exceeds 82 to 83 db.

I use thousands of watts to provide clear sound for concerts I produce/mix, but have become part of the "Lower powered single ended tube amp cult," LPSEAC or as commonly called "lipseek" (you've seen the t-shirts, right?). By joining the cult you agree to a couple of things: You use efficient speakers (99db in my case, plus hundreds of watts in powered subs), and you collect tubes. For many decades (I'm 106) I've owned tubeless and tubed hifi amps with from 60 to 250 watts per side, biased class A-ish for at least the first few watts or something, and have enjoyed music spilling out of these things for years…but after joining the lipseeks I'm stuck. Nothing to my taste sounds better, clearer, or more emotionally engaging than a properly utilized group of single ended glass bottles shoving electrons around. Headroom SCHMEADROOM I say (as long as you use efficient speakers or sit with drivers a foot from your head). I haven't tried an OTL amp…yet...

Thanks for the peace of mind. Yes, they are P3ESR's. I'm glad to know the amp is enough.. watts really are a funny measurement.