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Is there any truth to this question?

Will a lower powered amp that can drive your speakers, in your room, listening to the music you like sound better than using a powerful amp to avoid clipping?

Here's the scenario: Use a 50 w YBA amp to drive 86 db efficient Vandersteens in a 10 x 12 room, listening to jazz or

Will a 200 w Krell or such sound better and more effortless.

Some say buy all the power you can afford and others say the bigger amps have more component pairs ie) transistors to match and that can effect sound quality.
128x128digepix
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,333 posts
 
YEs, so bottom line, personally, for mainly lower volume near field listening in smaller quarters, I would be more inclined in general to go exclusively with speakers that are easy to drive and more phase coherent at close range due to proximity of drivers and I would give strong consideration to more moderate powered tube amplification to drive them.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Generally speaking, phase coherence without time coherence negates the advantages. Most speakers that are time and phase coherent tend to have impedance's that generally work better with ss.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Digepix, if you have a solid wall 3' behind the listening position, you might want to consider putting some absorptive material on that wall behind you, and moving your sitting position further back from the speakers. Not only will you get the rather considerable (with Vandersteens) benefits of driver integration and all advantages that come with it, you just might get better bass response at the listening position as well.
digepix's avatar
digepix OP
121 posts
 
Unsound I'm limited to location, because I'm in an apartment and this is the only place that works and I'm also in a wheelchair full time. The absorptive material might work I have to look into that.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Unless there is something behind you, the wheel chair might actually be an advantage in this particular case.
In answer to your question, I'm not sure if the YBA or the Krell will sound better, but I'd think the Krell would work more effortlessly. If that effortlessness makes for better sound, only you can decide. I suspect it could.
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