does more power=better quality ?

With apologies to Anarchy with whom I disagree on most everything, all other factors being equal: yes. The more clean power the better. If you listen to the call of the sirens you will get just the opposite view and may wind up with a two watt SET!

P.S. And insofar as the ambulance chasing bit from Anarchy, why not come up north and tell me in person.

Assuming relatively sensitive speakers with a fairly benign impedence, my experience is that lower-powered amps tend to sound better, as there are fewer output devices to muck up the signal. More output transistors or output tubes means more circuitry and more transistor rush / more tube rush -- this can be very audible in a revealing system (in the form of lost transparency and detail). This is one of the advantages of simple single-ended amps, which tend to have one (and maximum of two) output devices.

While the comparison is obviously very inexact and there were a lot of factors at play, a friend and I once spent several hours listening to a wide range of music on a potent $200K Krell / JM Labs Grande Utopia system at Singer. We then went into a smaller room and listened to a VAC Renaissance 30/30 (32 watts/channel) power a pair of Meadowlark Blue Herons. The VAC / Meadowlark system embarrassed the Krell / JM Labs system -- we just sat there looking at each other, shaking our heads.

"there are fewer output devices to muck up the signal" is it kind of like thecar analogy.for the uninitiated ,non engineer . can you use the analogy of a car.just because you put V8 engine, the car may accelerate better but it doesn't always handle better. some peoplle may preferred a mini cooper vs a corvett because they feel the mini handle's better.

Hey Raquel, I am shaking my head now too after selling my Krell 750 monos, KCT and Wilson MAXX for the VAC PHI Preamp, VAC PHI 220 Mono's and a little pair of Caravelle Monitors supported by a Velodyne DD-15 inch sub! I have never had a more dynamic, musically satisfying system in my life with the most unbelievable depth of soundstage I have heard in any system anywhere. More money and more power doesn't always mean more satisfaction. I learned the expensive way!

The problem with all the comparisons to 8 watt SETs...
is that "all else is not equal".

Philefread,

Your 8 watt SET amp IS "loafing".

That 300B tube is capable of more than just 8 watts.

That tube can be used in amps putting out on the order
of 40 to 50 watts. For example, Cary uses it in a
15 watt SET power amp:

http://www.caryaudio.com/products/audio/cad300se.shtml

Therefore, in the context of my discussion on linearity -
the tube is not being taxed at all.

Your 300B SET amp is not limited by the 300B tube - it is
limited by the power supply.

The designer / manufacturer of your amp put in a low power
power supply - so you can't push the tube to anywhere near
its capability.

The manufacturer forced the tube into "loafing" by pairing
it with a relatively "anemic" power supply.

Your speakers may be relatively flat - but they don't have
an absolutely flat 8 ohm impedance. Do your speakers have
voice coils? Voice coils are inductors - and the impedance
of an inductor is not flat - it varies with frequency.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist