integrated watts or amp watts

OnHi61 is right; any number of integrateds with more juice than 70epc.

For example, there is a Plinius 9200 up here now that could be had for around your pricepoint that it rated at 200 wpc. (No connection to seller; I mention it as an example only because I've always wanted to try a Plinius.)

Shumph is right, of course, that how much juice you need depends on your listening habits and speakers, though the flexibility more juice provides is very welcome, if you want to try more speakers. (My hunch is your current 91db speakers would welcome a bit of power.)

As for for "going integrated," I went from separates to an integrated and love it. I sometimes miss wonking around with separates, but the simplicity and value of the ntegrated route is very nice too.

Also keep in mind that no 2 companies rate power the same way. If you took a bunch of amps all rated at the same amount of power and measured them all the same way, there's almost a 0 chance that 2 or more would put out the same amount of power. Sometimes the difference is small, but in many cases, the difference can be huge.

I tend to agree that at the $1500 range an integrated amp would provide a greater return on $$ in most cases. That said, there are cases where the flexibility of separates may need be considered.

As Zd states, power ratings vary widely between companies. Ratings for 4 and 2 ohms helps when comparing the ability of amps to drive speakers.

It seems to me that there are more integrated amps that lack phonostages than possess them. Not that I have surveyed this discreetly.

Given that I have followed and responded to your other thread, I would like to ask if are you now rethinking your system. Are you?

First of all, forget about Stereophile's recommended components. Glossy rags are basically just advertisements. They promote the products of those companies that pay them to promote their products.

Second, yes in the $1500 range (and much higher), integrated amps are the way to go, IMHO. It also saves you money on cables and power cords (don't ask).

Third, in regards to power, you have to understand that power is logarithmic function. It takes 10 times the power to double the sound pressure levels. That means that a 200 watt amp will play twice as loud as a 20 watt amp. In most rooms, at most levels, for most people, you will not need gobs of power for a speaker of 8 ohms and 91 dB sensitivity. In a small room you may even be happy with a 10-20 wpc amp. A larger room, or tastes for louder music may require 100 wpc or more. The larger the room, the more energy it will take to fill it.

An example: My room is 25 X 15 X 9, my speakers are rated at 90db and a 5 ohm load. My 85 wpc integrated amp plays plenty loud enough for me. Now I do not rock out at 100 dB+ levels, if you do, maybe you will need more power. I play it loud enough to drive the wife nuts though. ;^)

Cheers,
John

Yeah, but loudness and size of the room aren't the only considerations. You need an amp with enough power to control the speakers. That may not be a lot with some of the modern speakers, but with class A/B SS, if the amp is not controlling the drivers, the drivers will send signal back to the amp resulting in harsh and ugly SQ. That's probably not an issue with tubes and class A I'm guessing.