I just replaced my 300wpc Krell FPB-300 with a 150wpc Spectral DMA-150 Mk2 (speakers are Aerial 10T). At first blush it had seemed that I had taken a step backwards in terms of slam. But after further critical listening I realized that the sound had taken a step forward in terms of slam. A great example of how the slam changed could be found by listening to Reiner's Pictures (Classic reissue LP).
The sound of the bass drum on this using the Krell tended to fill the room with a dynamic, fat, "thunk" -- something you could really feel in your belly.
With the Spectral amp the overall sense of slam seemed to take a step backwards because it wasn't as large and as fat. The sound though more closely represented a bass drum being hit with a mallet. The sound of the mallet hitting the hit was sharp and seemingly more dynamic sounding than it had been with the Krell. There also was less of a sense of overhang; the notes seemed to disappear more quickly with the Spectral.
Having played the bass drum before, it seemed to me that the Spectral amp was likely portraying the sound more realistically -- and that the slower Krell was allowing the bass drum sound to hang around a bit longer than it should have been.
I think my observations seem to support the very nicely articulated comments by Stehno above.
The sound of the bass drum on this using the Krell tended to fill the room with a dynamic, fat, "thunk" -- something you could really feel in your belly.
With the Spectral amp the overall sense of slam seemed to take a step backwards because it wasn't as large and as fat. The sound though more closely represented a bass drum being hit with a mallet. The sound of the mallet hitting the hit was sharp and seemingly more dynamic sounding than it had been with the Krell. There also was less of a sense of overhang; the notes seemed to disappear more quickly with the Spectral.
Having played the bass drum before, it seemed to me that the Spectral amp was likely portraying the sound more realistically -- and that the slower Krell was allowing the bass drum sound to hang around a bit longer than it should have been.
I think my observations seem to support the very nicely articulated comments by Stehno above.