Too much power?

@dain,

At 70dB SPL your speakers are not getting 1 watt or 2 watts or 10 watts, in fact they are not even getting 1/2 watt. At 70dB SPL your speakers are getting milliwatts from the amp. In my experience driving low efficiency speakers with milliwatts will sound anemic at low volume; high efficiency speakers can play well with milliwatts and not sound anemic at low volume. Also amplifiers, tube amplifiers and SS amps produce more distortion in lower impedances then higher impedances. In my opinion, higher efficiency (not higher sensitivity) and higher impedance speakers make more sense then a more powerful amp. 😎
Hope that helps. See article below:

Mike

@mulveling Wrote:

You should definitely subscribe to the "First Watt" philosophy.

I agree!

In the know Maggie owners all say that the more power the better.

Sanders certainly does.  Clipping does not sound good.

I listen at 60-70dB max as well. People have advised me that

planar or electrostatics would be best for me. Female vocals, etc.

If you have EC and Maggies just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Why bother to listen to a "system" at 70db, try a clock radio. I listen to music at the volume as recorded and meant to be heard.

When Vladimir Ashkenazy made a recording of Beethoven's piano sonata No. 28 in 1977 on a Steinway D, that is what I want to hear 45 years later in my room. Complete with his musical intent and it's necessary dynamics.

Ambitious audio is a manner of having a different but equal experience to hearing music in the flesh.

@dain your speakers are 86dB with nominal impedance 4 ohms. I haven't seen the impedance curve, but it may drop below 4 ohms at certain frequencies. This is a quasi-ribbon speaker and usually a demanding load for the amplifier. Your amp may not be up to the task of driving these to their full capabilities. I agree with @ditusa  that you need a more powerful amp to bring these to life. It is not about playing it loud. With a more powerful amp, you get better bass, imaging, spacing, and depth. Find a good SS amp that can deliver at least 200 W at 4 ohms and 400 W at 2 ohms. There are many good amps that can drive these speakers.

Regardless of what speakers you have, listening at moderate levels doesn't require a powerful amp at all. The dBs produced at one watt is the same no matter the amp.