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Recommended amplification

I still don't get it.

I'm listening to a pair of Vandersteen 3A Signatures with a recommended amplification of 100-200 watts in a small, 13x14 listening room with a 10 watt Class A amp (SMSL VMV A1) and they sound just fine.  Plays as loud as I'd ever listen to with ease, has control of the bass, soundstages well and generally sounds pretty fantastic.

I guess maybe dynamics but the music I listen to doens't go from pppp to fffff very often, if ever at all.  I've found this to be the case with all of my speakers, regardless of their recommended amplification levels.  I'm probably only using a watt or two, if at that, for most of my music listening.  

So why do speaker manufacturers even list the recommended amplification numbers, does anyone know?

Thanks in advance.

128x128audiodwebe
gano
154 posts
 

why do speaker manufacturers even list the recommended amplification numbers

it reminds of windows always recommending a ton of RAM and hard drive space, for the IT economy to grow nicely

jl35
3,999 posts
 

My Vandersteen 3A's typically sounded fine with 50 watt amp, but with some music really came alive with 200 high current watts...I'm sure if I used them in a small room, at lower volume, and less dynamic music...their recommendations are simply a general guideline for most listeners, not an absolute...

yyzsantabarbara
4,860 posts
 

If a speaker manufacturer recommends higher power, then what likely will happen with higher power is a more powerful and dynamic sound. You can get good sound with the lower power amp, but it will not be as powerful or forceful with music that calls for that grunt. This applies to a small room too.

For example, Led Zeppelin's When the Levee Breaks. Listening to that song on my higher power requirement speakers with the lower powered Benchmark AHB2 vs the CODA #16 is a huge study on contrasts. Both sound good but with the CODA you feel the music in your bones. 

If you are listening to Sarah McLachlan (as I am typing this) it does not matter if I used the AHB2 or the CODA #16.

 

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,623 posts
 

I don't know but they are always high.

 

Some people think, even people posting in this thread, that more power means "better" sound.  But if at normal listening volume you're listening to 1 watt, then you have to hope the 300W applifier you have has a good first watt and they didn't blow the budget on the high power.

Jerry

skiznfliz
25 posts
 

Source Material plays a big part as well… So much stuff we remember sounding great from our teen years just doesn’t cut it on the reveling systems we’ve acquired over the years in our pursuits of sonic bliss, maybe it was the drugs… who knows, LOL…. Heck, even a lot of today’s so called “Remastered” material sounds worse that then originals, many times it’s just S#!t on a Gold Plate, if ya know what I mean. Try some really well recorded material and if it sounds great, kinda narrows down the field as to what the issue could be. Been there so I get it.   

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