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SS amps. Why so much power?

I though that there was so much tube amp talk on this page lately, I'd put up a SS thread. Why do so many people buy the big SS amps that have 200,300,500 watts of power? Is it because the speaker you want is inefficient and you need lots of power, or do you need to play real loud? Or is it a status thing, like my amp's bigger than your amp, or what? Do you buy a big amp first, and then look for a speaker with high power handling? Or do you pick a low efficiency speaker you like and then look for a big amp to drive it? Do you subscribe to the idea that if you have alot of watts, the amp will sound better at lower volumes? I've noticed that the majority of AudiogoNers go with high power SS amps and low efficiency speakers. What gives?
twl
kthomas
911 posts
 
For me personally, I found a set of speakers that I really loved and have found over the course of a couple of amp upgrades that they sound markedly better with beefier amplification. I didn't set out to own a big amp, but the sound I liked led me there. I've got nobody to show it off to, and if I did show it off to most people I know, I'd be labelled crazy rather than cool, so I don't think it had anything to do with status.

And while I agree with Sean that high-end audio isn't bragging material to a general population that believes Bose is the ultimate, the one thing that WOULD generally be understood as "awesome" by that same general population would be telling them that "my amp has 1000 watts per channel" (mine doesn't, BTW). Since those same people have learned that more watts == better amp, that's impressive. -Kirk

clueless
763 posts
 
Well, my hearing isn't as good as Sean's anymore but it won't stop me from putting 2cents worth in. Designing speakers is a trade off, no? You cannot have 1) a small speaker, 2)an effecient speaker and 3) bass. (see www.trueaudio.com/st_trade.htm). Lots of people like fairly small speakers (spouse appeal, size of listening room ect)and therefore effeciency is often given up. This requires more power and its lots of power. If you listen at 5 watts nominal, because you have an ineffecient speaker, and want to handle a 20db peak you need about 640 watts of power right? Otherwise you clip.
edesilva
768 posts
 
Maybe I'm way off base here, but isn't part of this the way that amps clip? I always thought SS amps clipped in a manner that sounded "bad" and therefore having lots of headroom to deal with transients is "good".
unsound
7,341 posts
 
I'll admit that the following is a gross exageration but (here it goes, I know I'll be eaten alive by some of you) I find most speakers with decent bass present a low numerical impedance load. Have mercy!
edle
235 posts
 
Nearly all the speakers manufacturers put cheap drivers with ceramic magnets into all their hi to low end speakers. Also the sealed box speaker design also a major contributing factor in lowering the over-all efficiency of the speakers. As audiophiles, the "only weapon" to
"compensate" are to use powerful amps(SS or tube). Bigger is better! That's why nearly everybody have big powerful amps and hope that the speakers will become less stain, congest, compress or less distort...........
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