a more powerful amp has better control of the speakers ...

[Gerrardasnails]

Thaiman:Musical Fidelity will have you believe that you need a 500 watts amp to control your speakers, in my experience this wasn't the case! I had 25 watts class A, Vitus amp, driven ADAM speakers to very loud level and them drivers were totally under control of Vitus's current drive. My current 55 watts Mastersound will drive most speakers with ease and my friend's Tom Evan A power amp also got a total grip on his, hard to drive, B&W 802.

I agree. Sometimes it's the speakers that can't control the amp! At very very loud levels Ive noticed that my speakers can't deal with new amps power.

 

[Anonymous]

Err, yes and no!

It is really down to the Amps ability to follow the current demands made on it by the music at the volume levels its played at.

Several things effect this - the current draw from the AC mains - 10 Amp (especially on high power amplification), the size of the transformer (the bigger the better, reduces ripple current), the diode bridge (is a bottle neck to replenishing capacitor discharge), capacitors not having enough storage for the output levels when cranked up.

On amplifiers I like the ones that are built like a tank, the more weight the better. When current demands aren't met that's when things blow up!

 

[SteveR750]

trevor79:Err, yes and no!It is really down to the Amps ability to follow the current demands made on it by the music at the volume levels its played at.

It is yes: V=IR

V is set by volume control

R = impedance of the speaker

I = Current required. If the amp cannot deliver sufficient current then something usually gets cooked!

 

[Anonymous]

just some observations ..

since ive got my current amp , marantz pm7000 , rated at 95watts , ive noticed a few differences compared to my previous pm6003 , rated at 45watts.....

the bass is less prominent , faster maybe ? its hard to describe but it just seems that compared to the 6003 the bass is less boomy , in a good way , the extra power / control ??

also this amp is easier to listen to , it just sounds more laid back .. because its not having to work as hard to drive the speakers ??

and , whilst playing complex tracks like "sweet child o mine" there seems better seperation between instruments , it sounds less cluttered , a trait of the 6003 i didnt like..

also im getting no more high frequency nasties , which i thought was because of my room acoustics , the highs are fine now ..(i remember commenting on another thread that the pm7000 lost its composure a bit with the highs , but i think i was mistaken)

and , this is the best one , it can go louder without sounding too loud

.. ok ok , that sounds silly , but its true , the sound just seems more balanced , nothing is too prominent , bass , highs , it just seems better all around .. the power ??

 

[MUSICRAFT]

maxflinn:
just some observations ..

since ive got my current amp , marantz pm7000 , rated at 95watts , ive noticed a few differences compared to my previous pm6003 , rated at 45watts.....

the bass is less prominent , faster maybe ? its hard to describe but it just seems that compared to the 6003 the bass is less boomy , in a good way , the extra power / control ??

also this amp is easier to listen to , it just sounds more laid back .. because its not having to work as hard to drive the speakers ??

and , whilst playing complex tracks like "sweet child o mine" there seems better seperation between instruments , it sounds less cluttered , a trait of the 6003 i didnt like..

also im getting no more high frequency nasties , which i thought was because of my room acoustics , the highs are fine now ..(i remember commenting on another thread that the pm7000 lost its composure a bit with the highs , but i think i was mistaken)

and , this is the best one , it can go louder without sounding too loud

.. ok ok , that sounds silly , but its true , the sound just seems more balanced , nothing is too prominent , bass , highs , it just seems better all around .. the power ??

Hi maxflinn

Wait till you come across a PM64, PM84, PM94 or the RA-1062.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Igglebert,

That is a brilliant analysis and definitely one of the best I've ever heard.

Moving from an Onkyo TX-SR606 to an Onkyo TX-SR875 certainly verifies and validates all that you've said.

Well done!

Ronald

 

[Anonymous]

i thought so too ronald

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:maxflinn:
just some observations ..

since ive got my current amp , marantz pm7000 , rated at 95watts , ive noticed a few differences compared to my previous pm6003 , rated at 45watts.....

the bass is less prominent , faster maybe ? its hard to describe but it just seems that compared to the 6003 the bass is less boomy , in a good way , the extra power / control ??

also this amp is easier to listen to , it just sounds more laid back .. because its not having to work as hard to drive the speakers ??

and , whilst playing complex tracks like "sweet child o mine" there seems better seperation between instruments , it sounds less cluttered , a trait of the 6003 i didnt like..

also im getting no more high frequency nasties , which i thought was because of my room acoustics , the highs are fine now ..(i remember commenting on another thread that the pm7000 lost its composure a bit with the highs , but i think i was mistaken)

and , this is the best one , it can go louder without sounding too loud

.. ok ok , that sounds silly , but its true , the sound just seems more balanced , nothing is too prominent , bass , highs , it just seems better all around .. the power ??

Hi maxflinn

Wait till you come across a PM64, PM84, PM94 or the RA-1062.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

all in good time rick

 

[SteveR750]

Max, control of a speaker and therefore SQ is more than simply output power. It's about attention to detail in the signal path, using high quality components etc. There are plenty of low power amps capable of stunning performance, so don't get fixated on watts, unless you are about to ask Slash to come and play in your garden...

 

[Anonymous]

SteveR750:Max, control of a speaker and therefore SQ is more than simply output power. It's about attention to detail in the signal path, using high quality components etc. There are plenty of low power amps capable of stunning performance, so don't get fixated on watts, unless you are about to ask Slash to come and play in your garden... I have to agree with SteveR750 on this and i would say that a more powerful amp does not have better control of speakers. Igglebert has nailed it with his findings, i personally have listened to amps ranging from 16 watts to 500 watts and i have to say that the lower powered amps have all sounded better. As Steve says, its not about sheer power, a lower powered amp that has very high quality components, hand made, fantastic build quality etc in my opinion is made to do one thing, and that is to give it,s best possible performance, the only thing it was built to do. Forget about usb sockets, multiple outlets, built in leds, holes drilled into the top plate as a logo, polished steel pillars on the side, future upgrade facility, etc, etc, from day one it should perform the way it was built to do. As i have said before, my little amp is rated at 36 watts, speakers rated at between 50-200 watts, so on paper the amp should roll over and collapse at the first hurdle, but it sounds fantastic and is a statement to Sugden,s ability to build amps of a very low power but very high quality. Thats only my opinion, but i would always go for a better built, lower powered amp over a cheaper built higher powered amp.