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 mrtennis

again, what does better mean ?

how can you ask this question unless you provide the criteria of "better" and "worse" ?

i realize such standards are subjective. however, only you can decide what is better.

frequently on audiogon forums, a request is made for the names of products which provide "better" sound than what one owns, without specifying what "better" is.

i have often said that better means more pleasing to one's ears. in which case one person's better is another person's worse. thus, the answer to the current question regarding amplifier power is very simple:

a lower powered amp is better if you prefer it in your stereo system to a higher powered amplifier.

it is best not to generalize, as tastes differ and designs differ.