Power: Good or Bad


Assuming an amp has "enough" power to drive a speaker to satisfying peaks (115db?) do you find that lower-powered amps sound better than their higher power counterparts? That is, do lower power circuits inherently sound better than higher powered ones. I think Sam Tellif for one has made this claim in print. I assume that lower power amplifiers are simpler in design than higher powered, more complex designs with more tubes (or transistors), less wiring, etc. Or, do you feel that whatever price is paid for the additional complexity required to produce more power is a worthwhile trade off in terms of dynamics and "drive". I'm not necessarily thinking 4 watt SETs with super efficient horns, but maybe 30 watts driving 90db loads for example.
pubul57

Showing 1 response by bluelake

The gainclone amp is simplicity itself and sounds great. The 50+ watts per channel into my 6-ohm speakers is more than enough for my listening area. My LM3886TF amp is paired with a tube preamp. Siegfried Linkwitz of Linkwitz-Riley crossover fame uses the National Semiconductor LM3886 IC in his Pluto powered loudspeaker project. If the chip didn't sound good, I don't think he would bother.