2. amps-preamps
  3. 1206044020

Whats with the Watts ??

Hi everyone. I'm starting an audio system for the first time and I've been doing my homework -- reading and listening as much as I can. Sorry if I ask some dumb questions along the way...

One aspect I'm very confused over is how much power I need in an amp. So many highly rated amps seem to be in the 50 watt range, yet there are also those in the 100's of watts. My room is about 25 x 15 with a ceiling that slopes from 8 feet at one end to about 18 feet at the other end. The room has 3 walls but opens up into a foyer on one side. I listen to all types of music, but mostly blues, jazz, and some rock. I like to listen at low to medium volumes. Its rare that I would play very loud. If it's important to my question, I seem to prefer the sound of solid state amps.

Being uneducated on the subject, my initial thought is, get more watts. Better to have too much than too little. So my questions are; how many watts should I be looking for and is there something to be gained or lost with too much or too few watts? Thanks.
silver911
rodman99999
6,156 posts
 
Silver911- Are you taking your own recordings with you to listen to, or relying on what the dealers have on hand? It's always best to have your own recordings, material that you know sounds good on a correctly set up system. Do you have a friend with a correctly set up system, and some well engineered CDs? Otherwise there is really no reference to compare the auditioned systems by. One may have lousy CDs, and the other excellent ones. that could also explain the Maggies sounding better on one type of music than another(one CD being better than the other).
silver911 OP
9 posts
 
Rodman - I bring my own cd's and have ben playing the same cuts on each system.
rodman99999
6,156 posts
 
Good move!! Did they sound equally good on anything you auditioned? Here's a short treatise on damping factor: ( http://www.crownaudio.com/pdf/amps/damping_factor.pdf) Some will tell you it's baloney. All I know is the amp I'm using to bi-amp my woofers with, has a very high damping factor(1000 to 1kHz) and a fairly fast slew rate(150V/ms). My bass is extremely articulated, even with the drivers in a transmission line(virtually no system damping). A treatise on "slew rate": (http://www.amplifier.cd/Tutorial/Slew_Rate/SlewRate.htm) PS: I'm not suggesting Crown in a home system. They just explained damping factor well.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Thanks for the nice links Rodman.

Can you name some "affordable" amps with high damping factors? I'm thinking Bryston is one relatively affordable amp.

Dave
rodman99999
6,156 posts
 
Most SS amps have negligable output impedances, thus relatively high damping factors(Use the shortest cables possible and/or true bi-wire cables). Few will have the midrange liquidity or sound staging of tubes though. I'm using a Hafler TransNova 9505 for my woofers, and could live with it full range(if I had to: MOS-FET output). Bryston makes good stuff. Balanced Audio Technologies, Plinius, and Edge(excellent SS) are all available used on this website at reasonable prices(pay attention to feedback of seller). Moscode has a tube driver stage/MOS-FET outputs and they offer a risk free, in home audition: (http://www.moscode.com/) You can roll the tubes for even better midrange and sound stage with that option, and still have excellent bottom/high output(read the reviews). Here's another source for used/demo/new sealed stuff, either tube or SS: (http://www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=31) Kevin is reliable/knowledgable.
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