What is your experience with amp power?

Power has nothing to do with sound quality.  If that were true, then anyone could make a high powered amplifier.  Comments about power and headroom are completely false.  Power has really nothing to do with headroom.  And higher power sounds better at low volume and high volume is another false statement.

@knotscott - is going in the right direction.  I have Vandersteen model Seven speakers 83db driven by 28wpc stereo amp that sounds better than the 220wpc amp and even the 100wpc amps we have.  In theory, no one I know would even think to use a 28wpc amp on the Sevens.  But so far it has outperformed the other amps by a significant margin.

Happy Listening   

@bigkidz 

I have Vandersteen model Seven speakers 83db driven by 28wpc stereo amp that sounds better than the 220wpc amp and even the 100wpc amps we have

Actually I don’t find this particularly surprising. If this is a tube amplifier I suspect excellent transformers and power supply are largely responsible. I expect that most responses will be in favor of more power is preferable.

Charles

I will add another vote for quality over quantity. I was caught up in the whole more is better for over 5 years. I had amps up to 300 watts from the likes of Bryston and McIntosh. When I finally tried a lower powered tube amp I felt I had been had. I really think the sound of the amp is far more important that the watts. I think for most people and speakers that 30-40 watts is all that’s needed. 

Right now I'm listening to Eva Cassidy I Can Only Be Me through 86dB Harbeth's and 2 RELs at a little over 1/4 volume with a 35wpc Raven Audio tube amp.  

82 dB SPL peaks 10ft from the mains, sounds awesome. My room is 60ft w x 25ft d open plan.

Big amp power is not a necessity with the right speakers but is surely nice to have if you got it.