Power and distortion specs are just a minor reference point. A 30wpc amp isn't going to have the same power as a 250wpc amp but that is about as much information you can get out of a spec sheet. A watt is a watt but some watts are more equal than others. The only way to tell is to plug one into your system and try it.
what's going on with specs?
I'm having a hard time buying a power amp. I'm in the 5-10k range and whae I'm finding are things like PS Audio BHK 250. Specs show 250@8ohms and 500@4ohms. Then the Parasound JC5 shows 400@8ohms and 600@4ohms. Looks like PS Audio doubles at 4 ohms which makes me think it's a stronger amp until I notice the PS Audio spec is at 1 kilohertz and the Parasound measures 20 to 20 kilohertz. That is very confusing and I don't understand why PS Audio doesn't give full power measurements. Anyone with knowledge of these two brands or others. I have the Elac Vela 409s to drive.