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SS amps. Why so much power?

I though that there was so much tube amp talk on this page lately, I'd put up a SS thread. Why do so many people buy the big SS amps that have 200,300,500 watts of power? Is it because the speaker you want is inefficient and you need lots of power, or do you need to play real loud? Or is it a status thing, like my amp's bigger than your amp, or what? Do you buy a big amp first, and then look for a speaker with high power handling? Or do you pick a low efficiency speaker you like and then look for a big amp to drive it? Do you subscribe to the idea that if you have alot of watts, the amp will sound better at lower volumes? I've noticed that the majority of AudiogoNers go with high power SS amps and low efficiency speakers. What gives?
twl

Showing 1 response by ohlala

ohlala
1,231 posts
 
1)A true audiophile, i think, buys the amp that will allow their speaker to best do what it does, including decent SPLs. My speakers as well as others' just require high power to really do anything at all.

2)The mid-phile will buy the most powerfull because they believe to be the most important of the few dimensions they consider. They are stuck in the land of nominal, printed ratings.

3)The nonaudiophile will buy the biggest penis extension they can afford.

Varying combinations of 1, 2, and 3 for each person at a given time drives amp selection.
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