2. amps-preamps
  3. 184439-174629

Question about wpc on tube amps

I have been kind of looking at tube amps based on what people seem to think about them.

Here is my question- whenever I look at the wpc, they are remarkably low vs. a solid state amp for the money. 

It leaves me scratching my head. Then, somewhere I read that you can't compare a tube amp with a solid state amp . Something along the lines of "10 watts of tube power equals 100 watts in a SS amp". 

What? Is this real?  Seems unlikely to me. 

Are the wildly low power ratings on the tube amps I am looking at simply due to the fact I am looking at $1,000 amps vs the bajillion dollar amps you guys buy?

Would I be better off spending the money on a tube preamp for the "tube" sound I always hear about. 

I am running Magnepan . 7's  with a Bryston amp. Since the . 7's are power hogs are tubes even a realistic thing for me in my lowish budget? 

Thanks! 

 

timintexas
jaymark's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jaymark
509 posts
 

My Canary monoblocks set to deliver about 95 wpc drove my Maggie 1.7s superbly.  I know the pervasive mindset is that Maggie's love power/current.  However, in my experience my tube amp did a great job on them

bob540
407 posts
 

I have wondered about this too.  I was watching an audio reviewer on YouTube and he mentioned an apparently highly-regarded tube amp that produced all of 2 watts per channel.  How can 2 measly watts suffice to play even sensitive speakers to 85 decibel level, or even sound good if it could?  

larryi
3,964 posts
 

One would not want to play an amp rated at 2 watts at that level for any sustained period.  So, let's say one operated it at only 1 watt.  With my speakers that would be an output of 99 db under the rating conditions.  Those conditions are in free air (i.e., no nearby boundaries) at one meter.  But, in my room the room contains the sound and increases the loudness as compared to free air.  Also, I run stereo, so there are two speakers playing.   I do sit a ways back from the speaker, which reduces volume at my ears, but all in all, I could probably get close to 99 db from 1 watt per channel.  That is pretty loud.  I run these speakers with an amp that puts out about 5.5 wpc, so I have some headroom.  I don't play my system at high volume levels so I get by with such modest available power.

emergingsoul
1,113 posts
 

@mulveling 

Thank you for Great comments, this is the most I have learned when it came to tube amps. I'm trying to find a way to biamp using solid state for bass and tubes for the mid/tweeter. My existing solid state mono block amp has plenty of power for my main speakers, but I'm pursuing a fantasy that biamping with a tube amp would generate benefits. I'm looking at the recently designed Ss/tube combo amplifiers from McIntosh as a way to better address versus doing four separate monos to do biamping, which may not be that worthwhile to do.
 

@realworldaudio 

amazing comments, and very very technical,  clearly a lot to think about.

More to discover