2. amps-preamps
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Watts and power

Can somebody break it down in layman's terms for me? Why is it that sometimes an amp that has a high watt rating (like, say, a lot of class D amps do) don't seem to always have the balls that much lower rated A or AB amps do? I have heard some people say, "It's not the watts, it's the power supply." Are they talking about big honkin' toroidal transformers? I know opinions vary on a speaker like, say, Magnepans - Maggies love power, right? A lot of people caution against using class D amps to drive them and then will turn around and say that a receiver like the Outlaw RR2160 (rated at 110 watts into 8 ohms) drives Maggies really well! I'm not really asking about differences between Class D, A, or AB so much as I am asking about how can you tell the POWER an amp has from the specs? 
128x128redstarwraith
delkal
110 posts
 
In general if an amp can double down (100wats @ 8 ohms, 200 @ 4, 400 @ 2) that means it has a well made power supply and can supply the necessary current.   It also usually means there is usually good power reserves to cover transient peaks.
The only reason all amps don't all double down is because the designer got cheap and the power supply can't keep up.
redstarwraith's avatar
redstarwraith OP
17 posts
 
You guys ever read Greek mythology? I feel a little like the goddess Eris throwing the apple of discord into the feast of the gods. 

All I thought I was doing was asking a simple question. Honest. 
jerrybj
869 posts
 
redstarwraith
All I thought I was doing was asking a simple question. Honest.

Safety behind a keyboard. Seems what some are doing.
Their true personality appears.
You can't treat your family like this. Or your friends. Workmates wouldn't put up with it either.
And it ruins the forum.
 

dsper
663 posts
 
Hi All,

Okay, back to basics for the dummies (like me).

What is phase angle in terms of amplifier performance and how do you hear it?

And a Belated Merry Christmas as well!

Dsper


optimize
164 posts
 
Thanks all for your explanation of power and current!
Interesting link there with voltage/power paradigm. 😀
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