High Current vs high power


Hi!

Often you hear/read comments that the current matter more than the power (example Nait) and one should look for high current more than high power etc.?

Can anyone explain that or debunk the myth (my limited physics knowledge tells me that power and current are interrelated for the same voltage and impedance)?

Also, which amplifiers (pre power or Integrated) have 'higher current' than their peers at same power ratings? Is there any specification that shows the current capability of the amp which one can read and compare? like power, THD etc.?

Thanks
K
kelpie
Here is a link that might help some with this equipment matching issue: http://www.atma-sphere.com/Resources/Paradigms_in_Amplifier_Design.php

Al is correct- THD is the sort of thing that may well have a reverse correlation with listening experience and for the reason he mentioned. I'm not a fan of *high* THD either, as the ear will convert the experience of distortion into one of tonality (odd orders contribute to brightness, the 2nd harmonic contributing to lushness). If distortion is present, detail can be obscured by the ear's masking principle.

The bottom line here is understanding how the ear perceives sound, and working with those rules rather than against them with the audio equipment design. Because designers frequently do not understand the way the ear hears things, we often wind up with spec sheets that don't seem to tell us anything about how the equipment sounds, even though that is what the spec sheet really should do.

In short, as an industry we often measure things that are not important (and place excess value on those measurements) while at the same time not measuring the things that **are** important (and placing no value on them at all...). Hence we still have to audition audio equipment.
Mesch,

Thanks. I would have written more but I would be just repeating what Al and some of the other posters said.

Bifwynne

"P.S. I have a passing interest in checking out the Revel Studio 2 speakers. Revel's sales literature and member comments both state that the Studio 2s will sound best when driven by a high power SS amp. That sounds familiar. But I think Al might say don't automatically rule out trying the Studio 2s with my ARC tube gear. One day I just might!"

Don't forget that Revel is a Harmon company just like ML. I'm pretty sure every dealer sells both brands. Its a good combo, but I wouldn't hesitate to try some other brands with Revel; tube or SS.
thanks a lot everyone and the gurus in particular. I love the combination of logic, science, opinion, taste and lack of hesitation to state one's preference without offence to anyone - this unique pot pourri seems to be an exclusive of audiophiles. . . nice to be one!