Is there such a thing as too much power?

I’ve learned my lesson, no class “D”ull
will ever power my audio systems.
 Some love it, swear by it, my experience has always been it just sounds lifeless, monotone in a way?

  “Power........   UNLIMITED........POWER!”

Theres a lot more to an amp than watts.  I just recently purchased a Linear Tube Audio ZOTL 10 Mk2 and paired it with a Don Sachs pre.  I was a bit leary about 12 watts, but it is an amazing sounding piece and seems to have all kinds of headroom.  It's a keeper.

arctikdeth,

Regarding Class D, that was my impression too of several such amps I've heard, but, that seems to be the case with most other solid state amps.  The old adages of solid state sounding grainy don't apply any more, for me it is lifelessness which makes one try to counteract that sense by pumping up the volume.  I like listening at more modest levels, which is why I go with tubes.

     Forty years ago, When I "downgraded" from a Phase Linear 400 to a 100 wpc Audire, it was a major improvement, with subsequent improvements since, pretty much unrelated to power.     However!  The best home system I ever heard was a pair of actual B&W Nautilus speakers, which require a highly damped 350 wpc amp for each if its eight drivers.  It was exactly powerful enough.  This owner used Mark Levinson, back in the day.  B&W had their Classe division make amps for these still extant. special order speakers.  I wish Audire could power them, assuming Julius (Siksnius) could still create his magic, plus he preferred 100 wpc amps and speakers that could use them.  It is not all about power.

As far as the car analogy goes, My 350 hp supercharged S2000, is far less tractable, due to requiring 7000-9000 engine speed, than are most turbo cars, such as my 15 psi 280 hp MR2.  This autocross suspended MR2 and most Porsches are great without attracting attention with a 9200 rpm amplifier terrorizing the neighbors.