How Important is Sheer Amplifier Power?

[jasonq997]

I am a novice when it comes to technical audio questions. This is not my field of study. I am just a fan/enthusiast. Most of the following commentary is also completely subjective.

With that disclaimer I want to ask the following question. Is there something about brute force amplifier power that makes things sound better than the average 30-100 watt per channel class AB amp/receiver, regardless of "SINAD" measurements?

I have a Crown XLS 1502 amplifier, and in fact it is the exact amplifier that I sent to @amir to review (click on the link). I have various mainstream and old-school amps and receivers (Yamahas, Onkyos, old Adcoms). Certain speakers only perform well when I hook up the very powerful Crown amp and the others perform better than with it than with other amps. Since these are all middling amps from a noise and distortion perspective what is it about the vastly more powerful Crown amp that just makes everything sound better? Clean and more effortless... The test speakers have all been bookshelf (stand mount) speakers. Sets ranging from $200-$500 from JBL, Infinity, Energy, Philharmonic Audio and ELAC.

Is more power a more critical feature than elite noise and distortion measurements when it comes to driving stereo speakers? What is the best way to think about this?

 

[digitalfrost]

Pretty much a duplicate to https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/how-much-amplifier-power-is-required.10781/

 

[Ivanovich]

I’d say it depends a lot in the speakers, especially their efficiency. If they are inefficient they need more power to play at the same volume. For highly dynamic music, the instantaneous peak power demand will be higher too.

 

[mhardy6647]

It all depends on the nature of the load.
To wit: the loudspeakers' sensitivity and the impedance and phase as a function of frequency.
Some loudspeakers are easy to drive, some are not. Nowadays, many (perhaps most) fall into that "not" category.

3.5 watts per channel at my house.

DSC_4280 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Not the kind of thing that would do very well with, e.g., a pair of KEF LS50s.

 

[jamestown]

With that disclaimer I want to ask the following question. Is there something about brute force amplifier power that makes things sound better than the average 30-100 watt per channel class AB amp/receiver, regardless of "SINAD" measurements?

I think this is only possible in 3 cases:

1) If we can't accurately measure amplifier distortion for all use cases, eg we have poor tests for amp performance
2) If you are underestimating your power requirements with either a large room or inefficient speakers, or both and as a result are driving the less powerful amp into clipping
3) If it is just your perception / bias.

2 and 3 seem more likely than 1, but I'm certainly no expert.

 

[Doodski]

How old school are those vintage amps and receivers. I ask because the older gear used different transistor doping and they sound flatter than newer transistors.

 

[SIY]

Flatter? What does that mean?

 

[Doodski]

Flatter? What does that mean?

The treble sounds less and missing the sharpness of a newer amp.

 

[SIY]

The treble sounds less and missing the sharpness of a newer amp.

If so, it needs repair. Which can be the case with old equipment.