2. amps-preamps
  3. 184731-5819

Hooked up an old realistic power meter

Not sure if anyone remembers the Realistic APM-300 and I've  had one from years ago and decided to hook it back up for fun. According to it, for most music and volume I listen to, it says I'm using barely a watt.

My speakers are 87db for one watt, amp pushes 225. My sounds level meter confirms the approx. 88 decibels I listen to and I did crank it up to around 90+ decibels and was still only using a few watts.

For some reason I though I would be using way more power than that and wonder why if everything is correct, why I need such a big amp?

norton
knotscott's avatar
knotscott
802 posts
 

Totally believable and consistent with my experience.  I've gone from 255 wpc to 12wpc, and get much better sound from a better sounding amp.  If that first 1/4 watt is good, the system should sound good.

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,230 posts
 

@knotscott 

Totally believable and consistent with my experience.  I've gone from 255 wpc to 12wpc, and get much better sound from a better sounding amp. 

That must have been quite the revelation for you. Granted, it won’t be the outcome in every scenario. Some speaker designs will demand/require more amplifier power/current. I suspect that the 12 watt amplifier is very high quality with a well thought out power supply.

Charles

knotscott's avatar
knotscott
802 posts
 

@knotscott

Totally believable and consistent with my experience. I’ve gone from 255 wpc to 12wpc, and get much better sound from a better sounding amp.

That must have been quite the revelation for you. Granted, it won’t be the outcome in every scenario. Some speaker designs will demand/require more amplifier power/current. I suspect that the 12 watt amplifier is very high quality with a well thought out power supply.

Charles

That’s true on all accounts. The 255 wpc was a Hafler DH-500. The 12 wpc amp is a pair of modified Dyna 70s being used as monoblocks, each with a pair of Gold Lion KT-66 output tubes...certainly not a "holy grail" amplifier, but a very nice sounding setup that’s been optimized to my liking.

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