Difference between 100 and 200 wpc in amp?

Kex wrote: »

I would be very careful when considering sweeping statements about amplification in your case (and jakelm is in a similar situation). I was thinking that the modest 40w/ch of my harman/kardon 147 would be miniaturized in comparison to the 125w/ch of an Emotiva LPA-1. Not so. First of all, it turns out that the h/k outputs much more power than stated (albeit measured at 0.1% THD, which is higher than h/k's own measurement) making the difference in w/ch less than originally expected. Secondly, in stereo comparisons, I could never tell the difference. Thirdly, like mine, your speakers are not what might be considered difficult to drive. Whatever the explanation, I would be careful with budget multi-channel amplifiers when compared to something like a h/k 247. I was obviously disappointed and did not keep the Emotiva, but the lesson was not free.

For movies, I usually set the sound at -18dB (the scale on my 147 goes from -80dB to +8dB, IIRC). For music, it's usually between -30dB and -20dB. Both are loud enough for me in a room that is about 20'x15' with one large and one small opening.

One final point. When I tested the Emotiva, I still found it "unpleasant" to listen above 75dB (measured with a SPL meter), and even getting to higher levels required turning the knob to 60 on a scale of 0-80, beyond which I was not prepared to go (my ears were telling me to stop) so I was not impressed with anything that could be described as added clarity or detail. Another club member dbaldus, also has a similar setup to you, and uses a 247. He did not keep his LPA-1 either because he could not tell the difference. http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62755&highlight=Emotiva

Both dbladus and myself are still hoping to find better power, so neither of us are denying the benefits of added amplification, but quality does seem to matter. There is also a widely discussed idea that 200w/ch is necessary to really make a difference. YMMV.

Kex wrote: »

In my case, the h/k does everything I need for HT, so that is not an issue. Music listening is where I want something more.

tonyb wrote: »

kEX......If your feeling good about your ht and not music,might be time to move up the food chain and grab some new speakers.

iskandam wrote: »

This is very encouraging. I'm quite happy with my HK-RTi combo so far, but if $3-400 can get me that wider soundstage, night and day improvement, and tighter bass that everybody has been talking about then I'm not done yet.

a_mattison, I also have a Velodyne CHT-12. The next step is to upgrade the sub, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now