How many watts?

[vintageaudio]

"After all your years of experience and having the opportunity to hear many receivers.How many watts per channel could you really live with if you had to?"

mrgooch

I take your question to mean what would be the smallest amount of power one would want in a receiver that would meet virtually all one's needs....given one's current collection of speakers?

If I understand the question correctly....my answer would be a nice, clean 45 WPC.

 

[Zeke]

Klipsch Cornwalls and high-power (quality) SS: match made in heaven.

You, truly, cannot have too many watts, if they are of requisite quality.

 

[Jon S]

After listening to all types of equipment for 35 years, I'd say the MINIMUM I would have in a serious system would be 150wpc, preferably 250wpc. Why? Dynamics. My current setups at home include a Sony TA-8650 80wpc, TA-F808ES (105wpc), Marantz PM7200 (90wpc class ab or 25 wpc in class a) and an Onkyo TX-NR905 at 130wpc.

I find that with adequate power, music does not sound as open or "relaxed" as compared to higher powered amps. Music can sound a bit compressed even tho I never listen at very loud levels. This "phenomena" can be easier heard when listening to classical music which can sound very busy. I used to have a Phase Linear 400 Series II (200wpc) and still have a Sony STR-V7 (150wpc) and find that the music is more real with these two units. In comparison, the Marantz PM7200 in class A mode sounds smooth but like a FM signal.

 

[beddows]

Sometimes too much is bad. My house sitter blew my speakers with my Yamaha CR2020. I never had the nerve to take it past the 10 o'clock position.

 

[tcdriver]

I could get by with 12 Watts / Channel using my Heathkit AA-151

or

I could get by with 18 Watts / Channel using my H H Scott 342, 382 or 299-T (342 shown).

 

[OvenMaster]

After all my experience with gear both mine and belonging to others, I think 40wpc would be the least I could live with.
Tom

 

[vincei]

It's a tough question. I have an old Nikko integrated amp from 1977 that is rated 12w/ch and it sounds great with fairly decent speakers, so I guess I could live quite happily with that. However, I can also live with my current 280w/ch setup too!

 

[Parnelly]

I dont think i could live with any less then 150w per channel. In the last 10 years i dont think ive had a system less then 400w per channel. Not that i use that much power all the time. But when the friends come over and the beers come out. Sometimes i wonder if 400 is enough......

 

[ccheath]

I dont think i could live with any less then 150w per channel.

I see many AKer's feel that way. I'm one of them.:yes: Guess the hearing aid business is really booming.:thmbsp:

 

[Bobfalfa]

how much power???? huh... i'd say 100wpc at least .. and i would go poweramp /preamp... i'm running 4 infinity alpha50's{all alpha speakers are 91 efficiency} with a outlaw poweramp 7125, 125wpc@7ways with the front 2 towers bi-amped with 2 outlaw 200watt monoblocks on the woofers also 3 500watt alpha 1200 subs with a alpha 37c center and 2 alpha 20's in the back with a outlaw 990 pre/processor controlling everything....again power at least 100wpc

 

[Grainger49]

I'm sure everyone has talked about sensitivity/efficiency and power; maybe even listening tastes and room size.

And driver types make a lot of difference. One poster here has a pair of Klipsch Jubilees that are bi-amplified with SS on the woofer and Mac tubes on the tweeter.

I use 3.5WPC on 91, or 92dBW speakers in a moderate sized room and like it.

Read my signature!

 

[Tapehead47]

how much power???? huh... i'd say 100wpc at least .. and i would go poweramp /preamp... i'm running 4 infinity alpha50's{all alpha speakers are 91 efficiency} with a outlaw poweramp 7125, 125wpc@7ways with the front 2 towers bi-amped with 2 outlaw 200watt monoblocks on the woofers also 3 500watt alpha 1200 subs with a alpha 37c center and 2 alpha 20's in the back with a outlaw 990 pre/processor controlling everything....again power at least 100wpc

I hear you!

 

[Grainger49]

Sorry should have put this into my post above but no one will re-read edits.

At one time I, the guy listening to 3.5WPC, used ~620WPC in a tri-amplified system.

The watts you need are very system dependent.

:thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:

 

[GrantLee63]

I run 125 WPC using my Marantz 2325 driving a pair of Klipsch Forte II's. Depending on the dynamics of the CD I am listening to, I very rarely go past the 10:00 mark on my volume pot. Believe me, I wouldn't want to, as those Forte II's are very efficient speakers .....

- GL63

 

[congaron]

My home theater is 100wx5 with a 400 watt subwoofer channel, using dual 15 inch eminence elements mounted and tuned in the floor in one corner of the room. The system loafs at paint peeling levels, and cranks my tunes at any conceivable volume before the nicknacks fall off the shelves (actual occurance). My music studio has my band pa in it with only 300 watts/channel from a soundcraftmen s860 in the two mains. Various configurations are possible including dual 18 inch subs and two dual 15 inch 4 ohm cabinets with compression horns (making the amp aproximately 400-450 per side with the two subs paralleled with the mains). This is stupidly overpowered in my house with the mains rated at 101 db/watt@ 1m., and the subs at 98. The soundcraftsmen amp would definitely be enough for me in a simple home stereo, even with the rated 205 @ 8 ohms. I could live with 100w/channel in stereo as well. No less, for the headroom at picnics. When I was a little more serious in the audiophile hobby in the 80's, 50 watts would do it since I spent more time on headphones due to an old lady landlord....so I guess I can live with a few milliwatts.


God bless!

-Ron

 

[goraman]

10 WPC RMS per channel is all I ever use in triode and its loud . My spec 2 can now do a cool 350RMS X2 but will never get there as long as I own it.

 

[jackfish]

I have two restored Phase Linear 400s driving stacked double New Large Advents. The needles on the VU meters hardly move delivering 85dB to my listening position.

 

[archie2]

For my Spica TC-60's probably 100. For my Wharfedale 70E's 30 is good enough assuming it is continuous.

 

[Grainger49]

After all your years of experience and having the opportunity to hear many receivers.How many watts per channel could you really live with if you had to?

depends on the sensitivity of the speakers mrgooch, mine being mid to high 90dB's, I'll probably never use 10watts!

This is the first post, and first answer.

I'm guessing that Mrgooch wanted to know how FEW watts could we individually live with.

As bolly points out, it is HUGHLY speaker dependent.

My previous answer was I'm living, happily, with 3.5WPC from 2A3 tubes.

So, what is the lowest that the rest of you guys can live with?

(I'm pretty sure that we all could live with a Killo-Watt monster without much sweat.)

 

[Grainger49]

I have two restored Phase Linear 400s driving stacked double New Large Advents. The needles on the VU meters hardly move delivering 85dB to my listening position.

I like jackfish's answer. I'll start a new thread for listening level.

Thanks Man!