Too Much Power?

Some may consider my present situation off the subject, but then again it may not be.  I am driving an Stax SR5 electrostatic pair of headphones with a 160watt per channel Rega Osiris integrated amplifier.  I am using a Stax SRD6 energizer box.  I have found over the years that the Stax's own amplifiers, whether solid state or tube to not have enough power to adequatly run rock and roll.  That is a fact, which is the main failure of using an entire Stax system.  I have previously used a 50 watt per channel Audio Research integrated amplifier, but again, for rock and roll the 160 watts on my Rega is overall the best combination.  Again, even for Stax headphones, evrything else being equal, more power is better.  And it is much easier to damage a Stax electrostatic headphone using an underpowered amplifier than one with "too much power".  And finally, I can turn the volume up to a much higher level with more power dur to the fact that, using true quality electronics, the amount of distortion goes way, way down.  Yes, it is distortion itself which is the main factor in damaging a speaker system.  Yes, either regular speakers, or Stax headphones.

In my world it is not about how it is build or which kind of system it uses. No it is all about what you can hear.

Like Guidocorona says: when an amp can reveal all the layers/diversity in sound and combined with a deep and wide stage with an intimate physical stage this is what you need and want.

Like more power wil give you always more control and grip. It is never a negative thing, so no worries about it.

In the beginning I prefered Pass XA amps, but based on my insight and knowledge these days I can create a higher level with an X series amp.

This is also based on the fact it has more power. I can reveal more details in the high freq. with it. I can create the same sound of a XA amp out of a X series amp. But I add it with more control/grip and details in the high freq.

You need to understand the properties to create the benefit with the X series over the XA series. Properties will always be important to understand the sound and stage. And to use it maximum.

I work by Tru-Fi, which are 8 parameters you judge sound for. When you listen to Pass labs pre/power combination you will hwar by Tru-Fi that it is incomplete/

This means that a part or more parts of Tru-Fi are missing. So what is missing?

instruments and voices are in real very small and direct. Almost all shows and in shops you see that instrumentd and voices are too big in proportion. Beside this the black level is nog that good. 

When you would use a pre amp what can create an intimate and realistic individual focus you will experience the music at a more emotional level.

At the end you need all the different aspects/properties  of sound what can be revealed when it is complete.

I have turned an aesthetic corner having realized that bo1972's incomprehensible comments are actually True Art, and after criticizing him for this stuff, I now relish each post as they contain gems like this: "At the end you need all the different aspects/properties of sound what can be revealed when it is complete." Wonderful stuff.

Thanks wolf_garcia

Soon you will hear the sound where I was talking about many years ago. Because we reached a level what will help many people to a much higher level in quality what is possible at this moment.

Audio needs to be created how music sounds in real. And then you need all the different aspects of how sound is being created.

But most systems show that they are incomplete. Each incomplete system always will have a lower level in realism and emotion.

The problem is that the way audio is being selected by trial and error always will be like a big gamble.

When you have no idea what all the different properties of each part of your system are you will never understand why the stage and sound is what you hear.

I learned to extract the full DNA of each single part. I was that focussed to understand why the stage and sound is what I hear.

Tru-Fi has nothing to do with personal tatste, it is based on all parameters which you can hear in sound.

That made it possible to create a higher level in realism and emotion. When I said; I have done thousands of tests, it is exactly as what I wrote. And I still do a lot of testing. It is the way how I work with music and audio. It is a natural way for me of creating sound as natural as possible.

At the end I do it so more people will enjoy music as my clients and I do. You want others to feel the same level of exitement and emotion.

The good thing is that even for prices many people can afford it can be created. In the last 2 years I had the freedom and options to do a lot of research. And now it is time to share it so many people will have a stunning sound for normal prices.

wolf garcia,

    Sarcasm, as deployed by yourself, can be such an effective tool at illuminating nonsense.

Wonderful stuff, indeed.