Power requirement for ADS L-1290?


Here's my weird question of the day:

I got a set of hand-me-down ADS L-1290s...(I know, I know, quite a nice gift. It's true. I'm very fortunate).

Everyone says they love power, saying things like 'the more power you give them, the more they sing,' and other nice but imprecise stuff like that.

They're rated at 300 watts maximum, and they're not terribly efficient; coming in at 90db at 8 ohms. Exactly how big does my amp need to be to get "decent enough" sound out of them? I fully realize that the very notion of "decent enough" is anathema around here, but I'm not wealthy, by any means, and look to the vintage audio market for my stuff.

Would 65 wpc be enough to get them to sound good enough? 80 wpc? 100?
jamesjems

Showing 1 response by mkaz13

I can answer this pretty well since I have the same speakers and I started out powering them with a 60 wpc Denon receiver. They were OK, but then I purchased a separate Denon Power Amp POA-5200 (125 wpc) and the sound difference was very significant. Much deeper and richer bass and mids. Much more dynamic in terms of the clarity and volume of different instruments in the music. I think you'd be much better off with more power for those great speakers.