Is too much power in an amp really a problem?


As recently as 8-10 yrs. ago, I maintained my card carrying residence in the ‘lots o’ watts’ camp’ regularly. I’ve since held only a casual attendance to that group, and since departed with the acquisition of higher eff speakers, and lower powered tube amps.

Now I’m debating the future and appropriateness, of that perception and considering another SS, or a non tube amp. This time a digital amp… such as a class D or ICE configuration… as in a Bel Canto, PS Audio, Spectron, Wyred 4 S, etc., to use for both music and HT with my current Silverline speakers.

Several of these amps profess IMO rather high ratings for output power. 250, 300, and 500 wpc into 8 ohms, as your ‘oh by the way’ choices, and then doubling up should the impedance drop off to 4 ohms!

1000 wats per!

E frekin' Gad!

Truth be told, I’ve never put together a high eff speaker & high powered amp combo, nor felt the need, so I’m in a whole new ball game now, or am I?

I understand immense power reservoirs on tap, (like with my former BAT vk500) is a good thing, as well as are other attributes like a good input impedance, and control or damping figures. that amp ran VR4 JRs though, and both have since departed la casa Sunburn.

Additionally, my current tube mono blocks (120wpc) handle my 93db Sonata IIIs quite well IMO. My Odyssey Stratos SE also does a good enough job too rated at about 160 wpc. Between the two amps, the Dodds are the better sounding, and appear to have better control and more ease with the Silverliness.

In making a choice on one of these Digital or ICE amps, should the power numbers be regarded as something other than what they are? I mean more likely, do 250 wpc into 8 ohm rated ICE amps provide likewise results or the same feel, of an SS amp having the same output? Ie., control, power reserves, etc?

I do feel a good match between the speakers and amp is a prime consideration now, and do not wish to buy far too much or too little an amp, given these thoughts.

There too is the thought of the amps actual 'voice' itself to consider.

I sure wouldn’t want to smoke the speaks with too little or too much power on tap. Or have the amp ()s) always loafing. Or is that loafing bit just nonsense?

Any experiences and insights here on the digi power front is more than appreciated as I'm trying to get a 'feel' for this 'new to me' amp topology and not over or under buy.

Thanks much.
blindjim
Kijanki - It appears that I missed your deadline. For next time it would be helpful to know where you are.

Guido - You describe food with the same lascivious glee as Hannibal Lector. That makes me wary of your menu.

Macrojack

Thanks as always, for the predominately insightful notes… albeit, 100 wpc isn’t 500 or 550 wpc. I do appreciate the efforts and time though

Kijanki - G-man

One practical part of this all is to have an enjoyable, user friendly exp. Not long ago I had a 250-400 wpc amp, w/26 db gain, and a pre w/23 db gain. I still have the pre…

The outcome with reportedly 89 db 6 ohm nominal’s combo did not allow for sweeping movements of the vol knob. The useable range of the knob became vastly reduced to an arc of around 20% of it’s normal span… or less.

This made for a tad more tedious use. Only little very quick zaps on the remote could be had to adjust the volume, thus very fine, precise sound levels may or may not be had. By the time the vol knob was at 10 am or so, one needed to be outside the home to prevent hearing loss with extensive listening periods. Normally, I’d not get much above the 9-9.30 range routinely.

That past exp while producing some really great sounds, hampered the exp with me always having to worry with getting to the ‘just right’ listening level… and of course, the ever present worry I could somehow nod off and somehow spin the vol up inadvertently some great degree and damage the speakers.

I see some wisdom in having finer control of the vol. Higher powered amps in my past reduced this greatly. I don’t recall getting my vol past 2pm in fact… and that’s a far cry from only being able to move it from 7.30AM to 9-9.30 before it’s very loud, and at 11 it runs you out of the house.

I figure impedance played a part in that scenario too. The BAT amp purported 100K… 50 + 50 on the xlr’s. I was only running RCA via adapters so 50K ??, back then.

The Wyred 4 report 62K roughly. Not sure as to Rowland, with some sort of imp matching device inline with the gain section.

My tube pre is 400 ohm output. My Onkyo Rec … well I’ve no idea but I’ll guess it’s higher by a good bit, given how it and the tube pre act with my SS amp… which may or may not make good sense to compare things that way.

Anyhow, I’d sure like to keep using at least half of the volume dial… not just 10-15% of it. I’ve noticed this vastly more sensitive vol knob action with SS amps having both high imp (100K) and good power, 150 to 250wpc into 8 ohms…. The higher the power the less I can move the volume knob.

Consequently, a 600 or 1000+ wpc into 4 ohm amp does imply a similar circumstance may well prevail again, were such an amp (s) be employed… or does this not reflect high powered ICE amp implementation?

Oshag

Not being the sort that unquestionably takes the notes of any reviewer as golden, I look for supportive comments from other's I trust more... here. Hemce my posted concerns.... duh.
Jim, I just checked the manuals. The input impedance of the JRDG 102 is 48KOhms with a 27dB gain. The 250Wpc 201 monoblock has 40KOhms input impedance with user selectable 26db and 32db gain. Have not checked the W4S, but I suspect it's going to be similar to the 201 monos. Seems to me that with your speakers, besides impedance matching, the key may be a pre with moderate gain and very fine granularity on the volume knob. 0.5dB resolution or a little better may work. G.
Blindjim - I have similar problem. My 100W/8 ohm amp is driven by the Benchmark DAC1 used as line stage (volume control). Benchmark allows to adjust gain (jumpers inside) in 10dB steps but for some reason, I can't explain, it affects the sound. The best sound is at 0dB position (loudest - equivalent to nominal 26dB gain) what gives me full power at around 11 o'clock (89dB speakers).

Output/input impedance ratio have nothing to do with the power (very small division). Rowland uses instrumentation amp at the input (THAT1200) providing 40k input impedance, at least on my amp.