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What about power for Vandersteen 2 speakers?

I have three amps I can use, 50w YBA, 100w Krell and 200 wpc Rotel. I listen to jazz in a small room and as long as I don't get silly with the volume the smallest amp sounds the best. I know Vandersteen rates the speaker between 40-160w but it works fine with the 50w YBA amp. Is it better to use more power or should I stick with the better sounding YBA?
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rrog
1,958 posts
 
I would focus on the YBA and the Krell. I have had best results with Vandersteen 2's using high quality tube and solid state amplifiers in the 60 watt range.
dookiedan
8 posts
 
According to Richard Vandersteen himself, too much power is much less harmful than too little power. Just use common sense and don't overdrive them. I've been using a 300 watt adcom amp on my vandy 2's for years and they sound wonderful. I would just try all three and pick whichever one sounds the best to you.
brf
1,715 posts
 
Those are three different sounding amplifiers. No doubt you will find one that suites your taste better than the others. There is no short cut other than try all three amps and pick your favorite.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Use what sounds best to you. As for me, I think the Vandy's benefit from some extra power, but I'm not listening to your rig.
bondmanp
1,804 posts
 
Ditto everyone else, with the caveat that if you find you are pushing the volume setting up very high on the lower-powered YBA, be careful you are not clipping the amp, which is what Richard was warning about.
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