Matching an amp to speakers for beginners?

One step at a time. Pick your speakers, then pick your amp. Tell us what speakers you would like to use and give us the spec's (for those of us too lazy to look them up) and you'll get some specific recommendations.....Oh, also give us some price points you can live with.

Newbee,

Good suggestion. I would also add that you could provide us with the following:

1. Your budget in dollars
2. New, used or either
3. Type of room and size of room
4. Type of music you prefer
5. 2-channel only, combo music and HT
6. speakers-floorstanding or monitor/bookshelf
7. Amp-solid state or tube
8. Source component-what will you use for source, i.e. CD

Knowing these things will assist in providing an answer. There are lots of considerations. For instance, if you buy relatively high efficiency speakers, you can use a much lower powered amp. Heck, in a smallish room a 2-3 watt per channel amp will drive a high efficency speaker to loud levels. I know, I'm doing it right now!

For the price of an HT receiver and speakers at Best Buy or Circuit City, you can have a great sounding 2-channel system.

Enjoy,

TIC

For someone without experience assembling a reasonable priced system, consider the pre-matched components from Odyssey Audio, which I heard at the NY Stereophile Show.
Klaus Bunge who works out of Indianopolis, Indiana, has all the experience required to distill his various systems down to remarkable modest pricepoints, relative to the genuinely high end performance. In addition, he has the true European accent, accompanied by real audio sophistication, minus any pretentiousness.
For example, an Etesian preamp, Khartago amp, Epiphony speakers (not a typo), and Groneberg interconnect, and loudspeaker cables, all together sell direct for $1500.
One has to provide a source, like the CDP, or record player, at additional cost. Even this starter system is miles ahead of many a medium priced set-up, even if you could manage to buy the components, all at once, to get started listening now.
There is even a money back guarantee, but packing up, and shipping back should not be a concern, judging by what I listened to in his Show demo room.
His website is www.odysseyaudio.com, although he is physically still in NYC at the Show.
If you have the personal asistance of fellow audiophiles, and can buy the best deals on Audiogon, and receive each item in fine condition, then there may be better to be had, but, for beginners, there is no easier way than to go with Odyssey.
It's a thought.