How many watts do you really need?

I don't think when they are speaking off high wattage they're talking about the layman audiophile. Keep in mind that there are and is levels to this hobby like there is in sport and game. When Dan D'Agostino/ Gryphon, and others who produce power amplifiers with very high wattage... you must understand that it is because they are catering to the ULTRA HIGH END ADIOPHILE. They are in no means suggesting that you must have a tremendous amount of wattage to get great sound. But instead, they are suggesting and letting us know that very high wattage is used in the ultra-high end power amplifiers that they produce. So, let's be frank about what is being written and said to have the understanding that it is not pertaining to everyone that is an Audiophile. Those HIGH-POWERED amplifiers are for the ELITE ADIOPHILES of the ULTRA HIGH END who are more than likely using speakers that are very power hungry and will need 200 to 600 CLASS- A WATTS to bring them to the highest performing levels that will reproduce live sound dynamics cleanly and precisely with little to no weaknesses of power being drained from the amplifier when the power notes hits their peaks. That should answer the question about why high wattage is needed and that some amplifiers will only be made to deliver it.

@bluorion, as for the first watt, if anyone believes that you can get really great sound with great dynamics and good bass from one watt, please let us all know how that worked out for you. Even with headphones one watt is not sufficient to bring out the dynamics and bass notes frequencies that are needed for good sounding silent black background music. The reason Nelson Passed said that about the first one is because the first watt becomes the most important watt once the music starts and hits the speakers to then being played when it comes to building an amplifier. The specks and sound must be on target for the next or any other watt that follows to perform in a high-quality manner before it can be passed by his inspection.

I am not an ULTRA HIGH END ADIOPHILE, but I do believe in THE POWER.

NOTE: Just think... Frankenstein would not have come to life without it, and only the DOCTOR KNEW THAT.

Good day and Peace to All.

It’s nice to have some Watts to spare. I have 2 or 3 speakers I rotate into my setup to keep me from being bored and spending $. The amp has to play nice with all of them.

@elliottbnewcombjr not yet, I wish

Alll else being equal, more power in reserve is better.  The problem is that all else is never equal and big, high power amps do not sound the same as high quality low-powered amplifiers.  For my taste, I prefer certain low-power tube amps over any other kinds of amps.  This works quite well with high efficiency speakers; for less efficient speakers there are more compromises.  This is the nature of all gear selection—one picks priorities and acceptable compromises in any choice made.  For my somewhat efficient system (99 db/w), I run amps that output 5 watts per channel.  This does not leave me with much reserves of power but these amps work well with the vast majority of music I play at the volume levels I normally listen.

Many of the best woofers for use with high efficiency horn systems are large in diameter, but with very light and nimble paper cones.  They are designed to have stiff, low excursion suspension/surrounds.  Such woofers blend well with the very fast midrange compression drivers.  But, again, compromises have to be made, and it is usually the case that such woofers cannot go very low.  Some of my favorite horn systems employ 18” woofers that are good to 35 hz.  I’ve heard others good to about 30 hz that employ 22” snd 31.5” cones.  
 

regarding low bass, I posted this in the 'warm' discussion, I expected some reaction

"I went for extended bass when younger, but I came to think that was not so important, and in fact, I think what I and other people like most about my speakers is related to ’not too much bass’. (they are 15" huge magnets, weigh 37 lbs each,16 ohm highly efficient, bass is not lacking, just not further extended).

As I have said many times, Bass can be directional, i.e. Stereo Bass, always consider the overtones, and when there is less low room filling mono bass, and all the omni-directional reflections of that, everyone remarks on how the imaging of Jazz bass players and the sounds of bass decay are wonderful. Can less bass produce ’warmer’ bass? Not frequency emphasized, but a purposeful lack of extension, again, more apparent, not frequency emphasized.

Certainly well executed extended low bass is amazing, but mostly large spaces, larger than mine."

Of course, a side benefit of 'that's enough' is that greater power for extended bass is not needed.