Watts the advantage?

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Peter Rabbit
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2011/08/23 12:09:12 (permalink)

Watts the advantage?

 
What is the advantage of having a stereo system that's 130 watts per channel as opposed to a sytem that's only 70 watts per channel?
 
Is it supposed to give it more volume?
 
If I have 2 stereo systems where one is 70 watts per channel and one is 130 watts per channel.....Is the 130 watt system supposed to be louder?
 
I have both and I don't really notice a difference where one is louder than the other.
Should there be an obvious difference?
Pete
post edited by Peter Rabbit - 2011/08/23 12:10:46

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    drewfx1
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    Re:Watts the advantage? 2011/08/23 12:26:14 (permalink)
    Mostly just marketing.

    You only need enough power to play back at the desired listening level with a bit of clean headroom on a given set of monitors (monitor sensitivity varies - some are much louder than others with the same amp output). 

    If you already have enough headroom, adding more wattage generally just adds a little more headroom that won't ever get used. All else being equal, once you have "enough", adding more watts gets you nothing.

     In order, then, to discover the limit of deepest tones, it is necessary not only to produce very violent agitations in the air but to give these the form of simple pendular vibrations. - Hermann von Helmholtz, predicting the role of the electric bassist in 1877.
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    Peter Rabbit
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    Re:Watts the advantage? 2011/08/23 13:09:00 (permalink)
     
    OK, thanks Drew.
     
    But generally speaking should a 130 watt per channel stereo that's hooked up to 130 watt speakers be able to deliver more volume than a 70 watt per channel stereo that's hooked up to 70 watt speakers?

    "Creating a bad song takes just as much time and energy as creating a good one. The problem is that you don't know it's a bad song until someone tells you, and by then it's too late."
    P. Rabbit
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    FastBikerBoy
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    Re:Watts the advantage? 2011/08/23 17:02:58 (permalink)
    Much also has to do with your speakers and what sound pressure level they are capable of. Think of SPL as how 'efficient' they are at turning watts into dB.

    The higher the SPL rating the 'louder' they will sound. So if you have two speakers one with an SPL rating of 94dB and another set rated at 125 dB and you fed them with identical signals from identical amplifiers the set with a SPL rating of 125dB are going to sound louder.

    An increase of about 10dB is more or less equivalent to a doubling in volume (to the ear) so you can see that the SPL rating of a speaker makes quite a difference. To really see (or should that be hear ) how a good quality speaker makes a difference to sound go to a store that stocks some real good speakers and do an A/B comparison with a crap pair. You'll hear a difference I promise, although you may have to do what I done and take a crap pair with you 'cos the store probably won't have any if it deals in good kit. 

    I done a lot of research and listening before deciding to upgrade my live rig PA speakers. I was pretty convinced that speakers couldn't make much of a difference. How wrong I was and even now I'll often hear really good pub bands using cheap PA speakers and the difference a half decent set would make to their overall sound is huge.

    You don't need to spend a fortune either, like most things there's a fairly big difference between 'cheap' and 'mid priced' while the difference between 'mid priced' and 'expensive' isn't quite as big. Not saying there isn't a difference but the ££s start to go up exponentially for smaller and smaller returns in quality.

    post edited by FastBikerBoy - 2011/08/23 17:04:23

    Karl
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    Cactus Music
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    Re:Watts the advantage? 2011/08/23 23:12:16 (permalink)
    100% what the FBB say's. You have to try a few speakers and you'll see a big difference. Wattage rating is as said just advertising gimmick. Sensitivity and the efficiency is way more important. Those old W bin subs used to need 2000 watts before you could even notice them. I have a modern 200 Watt powered sub with an 18" and it will move your bowels on 4. But that said, generally you will get a cleaner punchier sound with more power. But your talking consumer grade home equipment so our babble is irreverent. They rarely tell you the true specs anyhow. I only use pro audio equipment which is hopefully rated properly. I also run a few old integrated stereo amps for headphones but they don't make them like that anymore unless you order from a boutique hi fi shop. Bottom line, use your ears. Avoid consumer " hi fi" equipment if you can.

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