How many watts from your main amplifier?

[lindsayt]

Following on from this thread: http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=193288

How many watts output does the main amplifier have in your main system?

Please use the continuous into 8 ohms (less than 1% THD+N) per channel figure.

If you don't have a main system, or have a headphone only system, please do not take part in this survey.

If you don't know the answer, you can take an educated guess or not take part in the survey.

If you have an active system, please use the most powerful amplifier, or amplifier pack, per channel continuous into 8 ohms, in your system. IE don't add up your bass and tweeter amplifier power. Just use the most powerful one (probably the bass).

If you have 2 or more systems that you consider to be your main music listening one, then pick an amplifier of your choice to represent your answer in this poll.


As an option, feel free to state your amplifier power and your speaker efficiency in dbs/2.83v/1 metre, plus your speaker continuous power handling capability (if it's less than your amplifier output power)

 

[lindsayt]

1.8 watts. 102 db efficient speakers.

 

[sam_cat]

Hypex N-Core 400 modules

240W @ 8ohms per channel

Speakers are Ergo IX - Sensitivity of only 84dB/2.83V/m

 

[Bob McC]

Can't remember.

 

[sls4321]

Obviously valve amp owners get up late. Good to see, so far, that sensible power levels generally in use.

 

[tomh]

Seems to sound ok, never checked.

 

[Cav]

Don't see the logic of your active system stipulation. One of my(2) active speakers has 40w for the tweeter and 60w for the mid-range which 100w per channel equivalent of a passive system.

 

[chebby]

I would have expected the 'mode' in this poll to be 33 - 64 Watts if people are following Lyndsay's directions (continuous power into 8 ohms at less than 1 percent THD).

I have opted for the spec sheet power figures from TI who make the LM3886 amplifier chips in my Quad Vena (and the Arcam A18 and A19 amps) ...

http://www.ti.com/product/LM3886 (38wpc continuous into 8 Ohms @ less than 1% THD)

Quad themselves claim 45 watts per channel (8 Ohms) but hi-fi manufacturers always 'boost' their specs.

Just doing my bit to keep this honest.

 

[daytona600]

4x900watts. 94 db efficient Active speakers

 

[Julf]

Why 8 ohm? Seems to reward amps with poor current drive capability.

 

[bugbear]

Sugden Au51p - 100 Watt
Epos ES 22 - 6 Ohm nominal, 87 dB/Watt @ 1 metre

(manufacturer's numbers)

BugBear

 

[DuncanF]

62.5W/channel in 8 ohms. But these are Naim watts, like Rolls Royce horsepower, so much better than your common or garden ones ...

 

[mattgbell]

500W/channel into 8 Ohms @ less than 1% THD ...

... because the speakers are Martin Logans.

 

[Radfordman]

My amps are in the range of about 4W RMS per channel to 100 W, which is the Quad 405-2.

I can only guess that I have about thirty different amplifiers, including Radford STA25 III, Quad II's, Rogers Cadet III, Williamson, a Chinese single ended EL34 amp, Radford SCA50, Radford ZD50, Quad 405-2, Quad 303 (x4), Technics SU-V303, Pioneer SA-410 (x2), Luxman L-200, A&R A60 (x3), Leak Stereo 70 (x2), Leak stereo 30 (x4). B&O Beolab 1700 (x2), Cambridge Audio P75 (I think!), Various chips amps including Class D TPA3116 (very good).

Many people think more watts are better than less watts. Quite often the opposite is true.

Using a very powerful good powerful class A/B transistor at low levels is probably not using it in it's lowest distortion area. A similar quality, but lower power amp used at the same low level may well be operating nearer it's low distortion area, so quite likely sounding better.

Can anyone express this in a better way for me?

I believe that the above is often correct, but please put me right if I am wrong.

 

[Barrymagrec]

Using a very powerful good powerful class A/B transistor at low levels is probably not using it in it's lowest distortion area. A similar quality, but lower power amp used at the same low level may well be operating nearer it's low distortion area, so quite likely sounding better.

Can anyone express this in a better way for me?

I believe that the above is often correct, but please put me right if I am wrong.

I don`t think you are wrong but there are a great many ifs and buts involved.
A very large class AB amplifier may never come out of class A at low volumes and therefore sound very good. Or not.
A smaller amplifier at the same levels may have current handling issues even though it is being operated well within its ratings.
And so on.
Like most of the questions asked here there is no one size fits all answer.

 

[Radfordman]

I don`t think you are wrong but there are a great many ifs and buts involved.
A very large class AB amplifier may never come out of class A at low volumes and therefore sound very good. Or not.
A smaller amplifier at the same levels may have current handling issues even though it is being operated well within its ratings.
And so on.
Like most of the questions asked here there is no one size fits all answer.

Yes, good answer, I have even taken a reasonably high powered Class A/B amp and increased it's output bias current a bit. Thought I got a good result.

Now, valve amps are a bit different, if one looks at the distortion curve for say a Quad II, it's a totally different shape to Class A/B transistor amps, giving low distortions at lowish outputs. Can anyone show this by posting typical graphs?

 

[martin clark]

65w/8ohms, 135/4ohms and my 2ohm test load couldn't cope when I last checked them; used into Impulse H2s.
I don't need the power, it just happens the amps I like can produce that much.

 

[Tony L]

Three systems; 2.3 Watt (Decware), 10 Watt (Leak) and 45 Watt x 2 (2xQuad 303). I filled the poll at 45 Watt.

 

[moo-fi]

Bi amping with a couple of MC2 amps sort of pushes the wattage count up. Makes my normal plastic Krell sound rather lame as well, output for each is supposed to be 2.5kw at 8ohms. No intention of finding the limits on these, the only time I have seen these struggle was at a large outdoor concert.

 

[Beobloke]

The amp I mainly use has 150W per channel but I'm playing with one that does 500W per channel currently and finding it quite addictive!
Speaker efficiency is 91dB