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Amplifier current vrs watts; why is current more important?

Lately when talking to knowledgeable people in the audio industry I’ve been hearing how current delivery is more important than watts in determining weather an amplifier will drive a speaker.
So what exactly is current and how does it effect speaker performance? How can a amplifier rated at 150 watts into 8 ohms vs one rated at 400 watts into 8 ohms be a better match for a hard to drive speaker?
hiendmmoe
hiendmmoe
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
those 1, 2, 15 W watt amps are useless.
Really,... have a list to these 20w only into 80hm amps, and say that again.
https://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/2097160-65b80b07-mark-levinson-ml2-class-a-mono-block-...
christianb5s4
237 posts
 

I'm currently planning an amplifier upgrade (current one is an Arcam PA240), and read through this thread with a lot of interest as my speakers (Focal Kanta 3) have some pretty large impedence dips in lower frequencies which has led me to look for an amp that has strong current capabilities.

I'm far from an electrical expert but I'm starting to understand the above. So far the criteria I've gathered from research is to look for:

  • Amps that double wattage from 8-4-2ohms
  • Amps that are 2ohm stable
  • Larger power supplies

Is there anything I'm missing in terms of specs to look for that indicate good current output? Amp manufacturers don't make this easy as many list out spec sheets with varying degrees of information.

 

jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 

I'm far from an electrical expert but I'm starting to understand the above. So far the criteria I've gathered from research is to look for:

  • Amps that double wattage from 8-4-2ohms
  • Amps that are 2ohm stable
  • Larger power supplies

Is there anything I'm missing in terms of specs to look for that indicate good current output? Amp manufacturers don't make this easy as many list out spec sheets with varying degrees of information.

i think you are on the right track, nothing substantive to add, good luck!

christianb5s4
237 posts
 

The challenge is the fact amplifier manufacturers don't always post that info. Then it's back to looking up reviews, forum posts, etc. 

Even the size of the power supply isn't listed often, much less current delivery ability!

akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,300 posts
 

@gs5556 

+1 … nailed it 

In other words…

Q.” …. I just don’t know how to read amplifier specs to identify whether an amp is high current. …”

A. Don’t look only at the headline power figure - see what happens when the impedance drops to four ohms. If the number nearly doubles, then your amplifier has good current delivery and will be capable of driving more demanding speakers.

E,g, My  integrated amp

A no compromise, super high performance, 162 W into 8 Ω (250 W, 4 Ω), dual mono amplifier.

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