Power Uber Alles ?

" If a listener was happy with a particular 100 Watt amplifier, would you suggest they find more power?" No, if they wanted a change in amplifier(s), I would suggest changing to higher quality amplifiers. My experience points toward class A or if their speakers can handle it, single ended. 
The majority of my audiophile life was spent with Lowthers so high power amplifiers would have been a liability. Since them I've moved to Tekton & can use either low or high power amps with them. I've tried both & still come back to single ended (SS) for the best sound.  

Eric, by now you've no doubt heard me mention my setup in a large room (16' X 34" w/cathedral ceilings), and for most of my everyday use, Class D Audio CDA 254 using two modules, upgraded power supply for 500 Wpc bridged.

For vinyl listening, an SET 300B drives my custom-built Tannoy HPD 315's to very satisfying listening levels in my larger-than-average room.

For your 12' X 18' with 86db speakers I'd say at least 100 Wpc or more.

Eric, just out of curiosity, I've considered you to be one of the more knowledgeable members of the forum, but lately you've been asking questions that I would think you already know the answers to. Are you just testing us, to see who knows what?

Hope all is well, regards,
Dan  

Hey @islandmandan :

Thanks for your kind words, but I am honestly not testing anyone!

Often what happens is that another thread will tickle my thoughts on a subject, and I get genuinely curious about my fellow A'goner's personal experiences.

Like take this one. I have a preference, and even though I could the math here and there, that doesn't mean it correlates with user experience.
More than anything, I like to come to A'gon to figure out how my fellow audiophiles experience music, and the gear that plays it, and in the realm of personal experience, this is irrefutable, even when it goes against my own prejudices, and that's where I am forced to learn new things.

I hope I also offer a modest service by asking questions in ways that can be answered productively, even when we disagree. I try to come to a shared understanding of personal tastes vs. technical attribution. Like say, distortion. We can measure it, but the question of what we'll buy or like listening to is not a number, and to me this distance, between TIM or THD and value and personal pleasure is super interesting to me.

Best,
E

I'll give another example.  I like certain capacitors more than others. Very personal. However there used to be this kind of belief that equivalent series resistance (ESR) or dissipation factor were the causes.

Turns out, that did not really work out. Whatever it is I like about caps, it's not in those two numbers. I think a lot of capacitor rollers and manufacturers have found the same to be true. The audible quality is not in those two figures.

I like what I like, and I don't have a reason for it. :) I fully respect that, but maybe someday this will change.