I know there is a different dynamic for tube amps, so
What is the WPC output of your main solid state amp?
I thought I had really jumped to the big time when I got 150 wpc
at 8 ohms with the Hafler Transnova, but I'm seeing lots of
extremely high outputs ...

my creek does95 wpc @ 8 ohms

the Yamaha M-2 is 240 wpc @ 8ohm
the Yamaha B-2x is 170 wpc @ 8ohm

(the B-2x outperforms the M-2 in all respects so not all watts are created equal)

Both the Musical Fidelity X-A1 and the Nad C525 BEE have 50W at 8 Ohms. Like Dingus says " not all watts are created equal"...

My Yamaha PC2002M has 240 wpc into 8 ohm. I run between 1 to 4 amps depending on my mood.

My AU-719 and 717 are 90 and 85WPC respectively.

My Forklift system? That's classified. Military secret, you know.

My little SAE A202, 100wpc @8ohms
Kenwood Basic M1D, 130wpc @8ohms
Yamaha MX-800U, 165wpc @8ohms 'approx'
Marantz 2270, 70wpc @8ohms
Pilot SA232 (??) 4 el84 output tubes

I think the SAE and the Yamaha could play a short curcuit ! They all have +'s and -'s ( )

Sansui AU-717 at 85wpc.

Keep going, but at one loop around our world, that 85wpc matches
the Optonica 5151 I just pulled out to use for a while.
The cool part is I go from one pair of speaker hookups to THREE,
A, B or C,
A&B, A&C,
as well as two TT ports.

The back of this thing was designed for us, but I gather that Sharp's offering
to the high end market never caught hold.

I had umbilical hernia surgery three weeks ago, and am glad
this thing didn't weigh another pound...

The baby is the recently added Sansui BA-2000 benches at 125wpc.

This is followed by the B&K ST-202 at 150.

The pair of Denon POA-1500 II amps are rated at 150wpc but benched at around 180-195.

The B&K ST-202+ is 200wpc.

The B&K EX 442 also is 200wpc.

Currently running a Hafler Pro 500 @ 400 wpc into 4 0hms. When I get my Adcom 585 back I will be running 250 wpc into 8 ohms. One amp running the highs, the other the lows. (My Legacy's are 4 ohm)

I ran a pair of Sons of Ampzilla this way and the volume is no louder but the sound is much fuller and less stressed.

Jim

Funny thing is that I had a 20Wpc amp playing louder on the same speakers and with same input as a 100Wpc amp and it was in the same room and gear had no defects.

Explanation please?

"dolph"

Dolf, I am not an electronics wiz, or anything of the sort, but I do remember that my old sansui 1000A 40Wpc tube amp had more power than my carver receiver.

How old was your low powered amp? and how old is the higher powered amp?

Elroy

I have a few different systems, but my "main" amp is an Adcom GFA-5802, which puts out 300w/ch at 8 ohms, and 450W/ch at 4 ohms.

Not all of my speakers need this much power, but my Infinity RS 9 Kappas certainly do. In contrast my Klipsch Forte IIs are more than happy with a GFA-545II at 100w/ch. (and probably would be with an GFA-535II at 60w/ch.). However, ALL of my speakers sound best when driven by the GFA-5802. I do not believe this is because it is the most powerful amplifier, rather because it is the amplifier that operates at the highest power in class A, before transitioning into A/B. I once read somewhere that the 5802 remains class A up to 50 watts. I am not sure if it is truly that high, but certainly in the 15-20w range. Compare this to most A/B amps, which offer maybe 1w of class A power.

Rob

not only are not all watts created equal in ss amps, but tube watts are different than ss watts as well. i dont have the vaguest idea of the why's involved in either case, i just know that it is so, verified from expert opinions and my own limited experience.

as for my Yamaha amps i believe they both come from the the same era of the early 80's. the B-2x runs in class A to 30wpc or thereabouts if i recall correctly.