Topic: 40 to 70 wpc vs 100 to 125 wpc SS

[luis]

mga kapatid sa hobby, magtatanong lang about wpc. 

i noticed when visiting our suking tindahan and would ask on SS integrated amps more often than not they would suggest higher wpc to accommodate wider range of speakers.

opposite, i noticed in the recent 2013 what hifi awards daming winner na below 100 wpc, konti lang yung 100 wpc and up.  they are grouped according to SRP.

the reason i am asking is the cost, mas mahal and mas konti yung choice for 100 wpc.  let's limit the samples to Naim, Roksan Caspian, Rotel, PeachTree, HK 990, Arcam; out onkyo, yamaha and dennon. to be specific, pwede ba yung concept na low wpc but can drive wide variety of speakers.

TIA.

Luis 

[disturbed]

I think sir probably dependent sa room and sensitivity ng speakers na ippair mo sa amp..

currently I am only using 50wpc rated @8ohms..and I cannot even go past 12 o clock on the volume knob..my listening area is only small though..but it fills my 1BR unit which is 20+sqm

btw the speakers are 86db and 6ohms

[luis]

I think sir probably dependent sa room and sensitivity ng speakers na ippair mo sa amp..

currently I am only using 50wpc rated @8ohms..and I cannot even go past 12 o clock on the volume knob..my listening area is only small though..but it fills my 1BR unit which is 20+sqm

btw the speakers are 86db and 6ohms

sir volume lang ba ang effect ng higher wpc or pati sound quality? 

[mykel18]

Pwede naman sir ang below 100 wpc to handle any speaker. Just check how much it can output at 4 ohm and 2 ohm (and it should be stable at 2 ohm or even at 1 ohm).

[ATJr.]

i stopped counting watts a long time ago..

as long as your speakers are happy with a lower powered amp, then fine...

[disturbed]

sir volume lang ba ang effect ng higher wpc or pati sound quality? 

IMO most of the time yes..you be the judge sa SQ sir..

[jjlovemusic]

pwede!
basta minsan consider the size and audible effect of the room or area.
consider also the chemistry of the speakers and amps, and all the other components in your system.
there are times that you might need those extra wpc, but if not, just save the extra $$ and get the lower wpc depending on the situation...

Minsan iniisip ko din i-consider yung situation ko kay misis kung bibilhin ko yun mas mahal (with higher wpc) na amp

[Tsnad]

pwede!
basta minsan consider the size and audible effect of the room or area.
consider also the chemistry of the speakers and amps, and all the other components in your system.
there are times that you might need those extra wpc, but if not, just save the extra $$ and get the lower wpc depending on the situation...

Minsan iniisip ko din i-consider yung situation ko kay misis kung bibilhin ko yun mas mahal (with higher wpc) na amp

laging may pick up lines...

me, im using 37wpc at happy naman ako sir, since im using efficient speakers.

[jjlovemusic]

laging may pick up lines...

me, im using 37wpc at happy naman ako sir, since im using efficient speakers.

Siyempre sis. Bukod sa happy ang speakers mo, dapat happy din si misis. Mahirap na tumaas ang wattage niya dahil sa presyo at masigawan tayo

Sorry OT. Hope this helps na din

[deist]

Depende sa speakers,room size,genre of music you listen to atbp 

Personally i look for the amp's sq characteristics (& its synergy w/ the speakers) more than the wpc.

An example, my brother has these floorstanders w/ 90db 6.25" full range drivers matched w/ an el84 3.5wpc set tube amp, my jaw dropped the first time i heard it playing. Can fill a 24sq/m w/ ease & finesse 

[jh@meeh]

Lets say ang spkr sensitivity is 90db 1w/m, sa 70 watts aabot ka na ng 111db (spl). Sobrang lakas na yun sir and continous exposure may lead to hearing loss na.

Kung kukuha ka ng 125watts, its just another 3db increase from 70watts.

Maganda talaga kuha ka ng efficient spkr (90 up) plus class A amp 30w ok na. Patay lang sa power bill. at presyo...
Panalo naman sa SQ...

[ATJr.]

just because you have a 70 watts amp doesn't mean you are driving it that hard, most of the listening are done on the 1 to 2 watts level...

it is the transients, like cymbal crash or kick drums or bass guitar riffs that may require  that extra watts....

[ATJr.]

class A amp 30w ok na. Patay lang sa power bill. at presyo...
Panalo naman sa SQ...

yes a 30 watt per channel classA amp pulls about 240 watts from meralco...

[ATJr.]

Personally i look for the amp's sq characteristics (& its synergy w/ the speakers) more than the wpc.

yes.....

[jh@meeh]

^ kaya nga sir yung ibang class a/b na amp, first 10watts is class A. Kasi nandun lang nman ang normal listening....pwera lang kung mag paparty ka...hehehe..

[qguy]

Before looking at the watts ng amplifier, first decide on the speakers that would suit your room, once you have decided what speakers, then look for the amplifier that would be able to drive it properly. Sayang naman kung bibili ka ng 120 watts na amplifier, tapos yung speaker na binili mo after eh ang  kailangan lang 30 watts.

[ATJr.]

A classAB amp is so called because all stages except the output transistors in the case of the SS amp and the output tubes in case of the tube power amps are class A and the outputs classB...

designs like these are prone to crossover distortion at low listening levels, but soon dissapears at high levels of volume...

[armymanhaha]

I did use a 60wpc Rotel with a fairly inefficient Dynaudio with great success.

Generally speaking, today's good box speakers are kind of inefficient perhaps because watts are cheap these days. On that note, I also tried using a Paradigm Reference Studio 20 (90db sensitivity) with the said Rotel and it was noticeably louder and able to fill the room better, particulary in the treble region. But, it was just too bright for my tastes.

 

[ATJr.]

classAB amps are about 64% efficient compared to class A which are about 25 to 50% efficient...
classD or T otoh are 90% efficient...

[jh@meeh]

Konti lang gumagamit ng class d kasi hit n miss daw???

[ATJr.]

class d is good to use on subs...

[armymanhaha]

opposite, i noticed in the recent 2013 what hifi awards daming winner na below 100 wpc, konti lang yung 100 wpc and up.  they are grouped according to SRP.

And BTW, please do not take WhatHiFi's reviews and awards too seriously. They are usually the editor's flavors of the season and will be, like clockwork 'outperformed' accordingly by the next flavors. They review equipment racks' sound quality as well so if that doesnt tell what kind of reviewers they employ, then you havent been in the hobby long enough But thats just me..

[jh@meeh]

^ pati nga patungan ng kable at paa ng power distributor 

[ATJr.]

And BTW, please do not take WhatHiFi's reviews and awards too seriously. They are usually the editor's flavors of the season and will be, like clockwork 'outperformed' accordingly by the next flavors. They review equipment racks' sound quality as well so if that doesnt tell what kind of reviewers they employ, then you havent been in the hobby long enough But thats just me..

and to think that these reviewers earn revenues from advertising from these same vendors.....

you know how their bread is being buttered...

[obsi]

Am running 8wpc monoblocks on 91db speakers, more than enough for my ears.  As the saying goes, if the 1st watt sucks, a hundred more won't change things

[timber715]

Imo, first you got to understand clipping. Once you do, then the wattage can easily be understood and why the need for more...
It turns out that a lot of 50watt amps and below will easily clip. Now here is the deciding factor, if you hear the it clipping... Get an amp with more wattage. If you don't then you can keep what you have.
If you do not know what clipping is... Then you should be happy

[ATJr.]

^ that's easy, the moment the sound becomes unbearable to the ears, then that is the time to back down on the volume....

Am running 8wpc monoblocks on 91db speakers, more than enough for my ears.  As the saying goes, if the 1st watt sucks, a hundred more won't change things

my recent build an EL34 parallel set can dish out 10 watts per channel, but with a tube rectifier, it pulls 180 watts from meralco and with a solid state rectifier, 200 watts...

this is the nature of a class A tube amp....

[disturbed]

sir TS..ok na ba mga sagot dito? lol

[luis]

Lets say ang spkr sensitivity is 90db 1w/m, sa 70 watts aabot ka na ng 111db (spl). Sobrang lakas na yun sir and continous exposure may lead to hearing loss na.

Kung kukuha ka ng 125watts, its just another 3db increase from 70watts.

Maganda talaga kuha ka ng efficient spkr (90 up) plus class A amp 30w ok na. Patay lang sa power bill. at presyo...
Panalo naman sa SQ...

Salamat mga ka-hobby as inyong sharing, big help. I guess I need to study and understand more specially the relationship between speaker db and wpc. Right now I have a pair of speaker with sensitivity of 85 db  driven by a hybrid 100 wpc. I am just challenging myself kung may igaganda  pa by trying high wpc ss integrated amp.

Many thanks.

Luis   

[ATJr.]

Salamat mga ka-hobby as inyong sharing, big help. I guess I need to study and understand more specially the relationship between speaker db and wpc. Right now I have a pair of speaker with sensitivity of 85 db  driven by a hybrid 100 wpc. I am just challenging myself kung may igaganda  pa by trying high wpc ss integrated amp.

Many thanks.

Luis   

no matter what we say here, at the end of the day it is you who will be holding the bag....
so audition, audition and more audition before you take the plunge, and let your ears decide...