Is more amp power always better...?


Hello.  

Asking advice on what power Amp/int amp I should buy for my room size...

I have a small listening room.  11' x 10'. I have 89db speaker sensitivity  I am going to buy a solid state amp.   

For best audio quality (ignoring all other factors), my question is:  

Do folks advise "Buy as much watts per channel as you can afford"?  -OR- "Buy enough watts for the room" as more watts in reserve do not mean better quality audio?

Put another way: are more watts in reserve better for audio quality, even if amp does not use this power?  

Thank you...hope this was clear.  

dunkin

So the ASR Emitter 1 might be a good option. I own the ASR Emitter 2 Exclusive and they sound great with a pair of Quad 2905’s. Quad 2912’s would be the same. I have to share with you however my experience when I matched the ASR with a pair of Monitor Audio GS 10 bookshelf speakers. The amp was just too much for the bookshelves. It sounded like a Tasmanian Devil was trying to break out of the cabinets. When I bought the Monitor Audio’s I was told that it was impossible to blow them up but I blew both a woofer and tweeter. I then paired the Monitor Audio’s with a Rega amplifier and they were fine.

The numerical value given for damping factor is 8 divided by the output impedance of the amp—the lower the impedance, the higher the damping factor.  A typical SET amp can have an output impedance of 2 ohms or more, for a damping factor of 4 or less.  This relatively high output impedance interacts with the impedance of the speaker, which varies with frequency, and thereby affects the frequency response of the speaker (the lower the speaker impedance, the greater the change in frequency response.  Thus, SET and other tube amps with high output impedances are best used with speakers with a rated impedance of 8 ohms or more, and with an actual impedance curve that is relatively flat.  Any damping factor above 8 is probably high enough to be irrelevant.

My thinking, a speaker having a true 89dB sensitivity to be used in a 10'x11' room can easily be by served by an amplifier providing 50wpc at 8ohms and 100wpc at 4ohms. 

My advice, search for an amplifier that mates best towards the presentation you desire rather than the power it delivers. Low watt SET amps an exception.