I had amps from 40W/channel, 90W/channel, and 125W per channel, and all sounded okay for the Paradigm Ref 100's v2 that I own. Biggest change came with the 200W Rotel 1080 - these speakers like juice and control. Think what you will about amplifier Damping Factor, but it makes a noticable difference on smaller-woofer speakers like the Paradigms in my experience. They sound much tighter, deeper, and play subjectively louder since the woofers aren't vibrating out of control (relatively speaking of course). That being said, over time the 1080 was irritating, listening fatigue from any loud volume on all but the best recordings. Cycled through some amps and stuck with the 380W/channel Rotel 1090. WOW. Even higher quality better bass, and no fatigue whatsoever at any volume. For the first time, I don't feel like the amp is running out of gas or "pushing it" when the volume is turned up very high. Effortless sound and energy to the Reference 100's. Long story short, the more current and control you give these speakers, the better they will respond.
How much Amp for Paradigm Studio 100 v2's
I recently bought a pair of Studio 100s and the integrated amp I hooked them up to (my early 80s era Yamaha A1 (70/80 watts @ 8/4 ohm)) causes the upper 8.5 " woofer to distort/clip at high volume. On line reviews indicate these speakers drop below 4 ohms, one suggesting a "good 4 ohm-rated amp". The speakers sound great otherwise. Do I just need a better amp to drive them?
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