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 jw94055

Double the power for 3db, if I am not mistaken. You have to ask yourself, how loud is loud enough? 90db for 1 watt, 2 watts for 93, 4 for 96, 8 for 99, 16 for 102, 32 for 105, etc. The efficiency of the speakers, size of listening area, and need for power peaks(usually bass) all come into play. IMHO, no more power than necessary.