how much power do i actually need?

[cfrizz]

I do on some things, but others I cannot because technology changes too rapidly.

the best TV or receiver or media unit (BlueRay player) will be obsolete or just not worth the cost in 10 years. Certainly the bleeding edge becomes affordable fast.

These days, I buy most lasting things used already. It lets me play and avoid depriciation.

You can, you simply choose not to. I started out with a 2 channel system, & I had it for about 15 years. Then I got into HT, which is nice but my main enjoyment from my system is still music.

I simply don't care enough about all the latest technology to get rid of perfectly good gear that produces great sound & to me a great picture.

 

[walter duque]

I would get the Cinepro4k6SE that puts out 490 watts and you'll never have to look back. One time investment, I did say investment. I bought my first Cinepro3k6 in 99 for under 3K. 350x6 into 8ohms. After 10 years there are very few amps that can even come close to the Cinepro. Go for the best most powerful amp you can afford and at the end you'll save money. You will enjoy it many years to come and you'll be way ahead of everybody else. There is nothing like power. Take the giant leap, it's worth it. It'll give you a ride you'll never forget.
http://www.cinepro.com/Specsheets/Mk5-SeGoldCellSheet300DPI.pdf

 

[JerryLove]

You can, you simply choose not to. I started out with a 2 channel system, & I had it for about 15 years. Then I got into HT, which is nice but my main enjoyment from my system is still music.

That's an unfair characterization of the issue at hand. Yes, the proscription against buying what I need now is based on the fact that will need is not presently available and that, in turn, is based on future desires. (well who knows what video standards will do over the next 20 years? And audio codecs may never move past DTS-master and the like. I can only speculate)

It remains unreasonable, and a terrible mis-framing of my statement, to discard that as trivial to the issue.

I simply don't care enough about all the latest technology to get rid of perfectly good gear that produces great sound & to me a great picture.

I don't care about the latest technology: I care about the performance given. You don't care about the performance given. That's fine. It's also irrelevant to my post.

 

[chris357]

if anything buying the best amp you can afford is the most future proof thing you can do. amps are a pretty dumb device ..the brains are the processors and preamps..

if you buy the best amps you can afford.. once.. and keep them for 10-15 years.. or more.. and just replace the pre/pro as needed, isnt this the best of both worlds?

and... if the best amps you can afford now changes down th eroad.. to something even better.. but you have since bought a nice pre/pro... you can just buy the new amps as needed as well..

I love separates

 

[mtrycrafts]

if anything buying the best amp you can afford is the most future proof thing you can do. amps are a pretty dumb device ..the brains are the processors and preamps..

..

Yes, but who knows if and when powered speakers with built in electronic crossovers and amps for each driver become the norm? Then, you only need a processor and more interconnects

 

[JerryLove]

Basic amp design hasn't changed much in 40 years.

Option 1: It's a stable standard.
Option 2: It's due.

 

[chris357]

Yes, but who knows if and when powered speakers with built in electronic crossovers and amps for each driver become the norm? Then, you only need a processor and more interconnects

huh?

i'm not implying you wont need a pre/pro I'm saying that with good amps you can just upgrade pre/pro as tech advances..

and yes maybe amp technology is due for a change.. and I think the digital amps are here.. but some might say they are not an improvement.. so is it really better technology?

is it due for something.. maybe.. but still will it be compelling enough to make us buy them?

probably not.. it woudl have to be pretty amazing.

 

[njedpx3]

Another point of view ... YOU MAY DISAGREE

I respectfully disagree with a lot that has been stated in this thread.

Power and power amps are highly overated!

I have a Marantz 1060 that is over 35 years old and still works perfectly.
Marantz is a good amp but not the quality of a McIntosh, Crown, Rotel or some of the other high end amps mentioned here. Claas D amps are all basically the same despite all the specs differnet vendors produce.

Clipping occurs rarely unless you are significantly mismatched or try to always drive you speakers with the AVR and/or external amp at its limits. If this is occurring you have bigger problems than you can imagine.

And yes, sometimes adding more power will help the soound ,if you have you present receiver and/or amp combination turned up all the way.

And more power, can not help old dying 15 years or older speakers. Speaker technology has advance a lot in just the last 5 or 10 years. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and buynewspeakers.

I have A Marantz SR8002 which provide 125 watts per channel and is plenty to drive Def Tech 7002s much louder than I can stand and I like loud TV and movies.

Also remember power is logrithmic. To get a 3dB gain you have to double the power. 200 watts provides a 3dB gain over 100 watts. 1000 watts only provides a 10 dBgain over 100 watts.

If you really feel you need more power, I personally would get a Behringer EP2500 for less than $300 which will provide 450 watts per channel into 8 ohms for 2 channels if I needed an external amp.

Thenthere is also capacitance and inductance that causes the impedance to vary with frequency and therefore the required power. Then there is the resistive part of speakers that varies with temperature load and winding age and cone resilence. Then you need to understand the difference between peak-to-peak and rms (root mean squared) watts and what the speaker watts range really mean ..but hey, not everyone is an electrical engineer.

The laws of physics and eletron travel can not be changed even though some cable/wire manufactures try to get you to think they can.


Peace to those who disagree or have different opinions.

NJ