tube Watts vs solid state Watts

I took the trouble to actually measure the voltage being applied to my 4 ohm MG 1.6 speakers by my 600 watt amps during peak volume intervals of VERY loudly played music. I wanted to know if a lower powered amp would be OK. Most of the time the maximum rms voltage over a brief (1 second) interval was 10 volts or less, which correspionds to 25 watts. (At times when the music was quiet the voltage was only a couple of volts, which is one watt). However, there were a few moments when I saw about 40 volts and this would correspond to 400 watts. A 40 volt rms sine wave would have instantaneous voltage peaks of 56 volts. Since the CLIP LEDs did not illuminate I guess that my amp was able to follow a 56 volt peak waveform,

So, I concluded that 600 watts is not as much of an overkill as you might suppose. Nevertheless, because this test was done with music much louder than I would actually use I bought some new amps which are only(!) 350 watts into 4 ohms, and they are OK. (I did not buy some 60 watt tube amps which I had been considering). In general, my experience has been that every time my amp power has been increased the speakers sounded better. I think that high powered amps have characteristics other than their maximum power capability which are helpful.

This discussion is similar to the high torque versus low torque engines producing the same horsepower discussion.

HP is HP and IT is what determines the max speed that a car can go.

There is the term, however, of 'usefull' power (HP), which could be used as 'usefull watts' for amplifiers.

Interesting concept. Can you explain that a bit please? What is in this case the high torque engine: the tube amp or the pure class A solid state amp?

Chris

Neither. The point is that power (watts or HP)is equal to volts (potential or torque) X amps (current or rpm). The high torque engine produces the HP at lower rpm, thus, and this is debatable, at a more useable range.
Amplifiers (tube or SS)can be designed to be either 'high torque' or 'low torque' for the same power. This analogy can only go so far, so lets not push it.
Salut, Bob p.