How much power is to much power?


When is an amp overkill for a speaker? More specifically, I have 91db speakers and I'm considering two SS amps, one 140 watts and the other 200 watts. Are they both too much? Is it too much simply because you're paying for extra power but don't need it, or because it's a detriment to the overall system sound?

Thanks.
128x128jtnicolosi
As I always say to this kind of question "nothing exceeds like excess...."

Enjoy,

TIC
Likely the areas where you will have the most need for additional power is in large orchestral classical pieces. This is due to the wide dynamic range of such pieces. But the difference between a 140 watt amp and a 200 watt amp is not going to matter a whole lot. For example. when I listen to a Beethoven symphony, the sound peaks of about 105 db spl draw right at 400 watts from a mcintosh amp. However, a good portion of the non peaks draw less than 40 watts and the quieter parts are in the 0.4 to 4 watt range. I state this a an indication that the benefits of the extra power come in more when there is an order of magnitude or more difference between what is available. Does one really need that much power? Not in my opinion, I just like it. My own bottom line for what its worth, which is based only on my subjective philosophy, is so long as you have enough power to be able to hear the quietest part of a work, and, without changing the volume setting, the loudest (or most power hungry - which will be a lot of bass) part of that work does not result in clipping, you have enough power to appreciate the music. The best test I can think of offhand is Mahler's 2nd.

When you get away from big orchesteral works and particularly if you are listening to music without a lot of bass, for example a piano sonata, your power requirements are drastically reduced.

One solution to get some of the best of both worlds, is pick up a pair of decent headphones for the occasions where you want to listen to something at higher volumes than your amp may be able to provide.

In sum, I would not make the choice of the two amps you mentioned based on the difference in their power specs but rather on how they sound to you at listening levels that they support.

Remember, also, that some opinions as to what is desirable are extreme, especially where it comes to power and loudness. In a perfect world I'd have an amp and speakers that could go to 140 db. - problem is that I know me and I know that all I'd be hearing inside of a year is ringing due to tinnitus from acoustic trauma.
I like Musicnoise's post and agree about the Mahler, but actually think that just about any well recorded Mahler will do. The Finales of #1 and #6 will test any system.

I'm a little surprise about the comment about piano sonatas. Well recorded piano has tremendous dynamic range, including loads of bass.

Dave
A Accuphase P200/P300 don't even worry about it....if there qaulity drivers the amps won't be a problem...btw the Accuphase amps have built in protection circuits for driving unsafe loads.