Speakers that come "alive" with more power

My Paradigm Studio 10's and Signature 2's came alive when i added a 200w amp.

If that, and it assumes that the speakers are capable of handling the extra power without the drivers reaching their excursion limits. Where power in and of itself is concerned you really can't tell much difference, if any, between less than a 4:1 difference. But if two amps have different input sensitivities that can be easily heard, even if they're both rated for the same maximum power, and that's more often than not what you hear when using different amps.

Music can often have 10dB peaks. I suppose if the extra power can better match those peaks, then I can see how some might say they have "come alive" with the extra power. But as BIll says, that presupposes the speakers are capable of handling it.
http://www.jblpro.com/pub/technote/spkpwfaq.pdf

They were being powerd by Pioneer ELITE SC61 AVR. I'm not talking about them being louder, they just sound more bold and cleaner.

I've had speakers, mostly those with high ohm-change slopes, which were picky about amps in a way not suggested by simple SPL/watts..

My B&W801's, for example, really did not sound good at even low volume off my AVR. They sounded much better when I put a more capable amp under them (didn't matter which: they've run off my McIntosh 2120 and my Yamaha P5000S).

Most of what I've owned, however, sounded just fine off an AVR at most volumes.

By bolder and cleaner, you could just be experiencing differences in a certain receiver or amp. Like how some think receiver: A sounds warmer than receiver: B. etc...

That's my thinking as well. Some speakers are difficult impedance loads and an amp capable of handling it will sound better even at low volumes. My speakers are easy to drive and sound identical whether I use a receiver or a separate amp.

That probably has everything to do with the quality of the amp, not the power rating.

Could be. It's a old Acurus A-200. The Paradigm Signature 2's are just insane speakers as it is.

Man, wouldn't that be nice. Dynaudios are notorious for "coming alive with power", as per your OP. The rationale has always been current, not "power"; and of course, there's always the argument...whether you agree or not...of watts and watts (as in, all are not created equally).

I'm with you; it would be nice if amp specs all included damping factors (which I think are tricky), and amount of current produced...in some kind of usable number. But then that would likely shine a light on the "best" units now, wouldn't it.

You are close to answering your own question. The hks tend to have higher instantaneous current reserve and as such can have the more dynamic, relaxed, and musical sound. Look for high instantaneous current capacity by finding the 4 ohm rating, if there is one. If it's heading toward doubling the 8 ohm rating, you've identified this kind of engineering.

As for your original question, speakers can have distinctive personalities with regard to power. For example, a pair of otherwise acoustically-similar speakers - a pair of differing 6.5" 2-ways, for example - can favor significantly different program material and typical use depending on their relative technologies. The model emphasizing very linear magnetic motor behavior, light moving assemblies, and close electrical coupling to the amplifier can dig deeper into the finest details and therefore have you listening at lower levels, whereas the model with very high thermal capacity and higher internal mechanical control tends to need to be driven harder to sound more "comfortable" with the more dynamic material at the loud end of the scale. In this thread CDLehner mentions the Dynaudios and their preference for oodles of current.

Lastly, I had another conversation this week with a reviewer who, like me, has preferred smaller amplifiers for their alive, natural sound over the same brand's large amplifiers. Big amps may conceal their apparently louder personality behind lower dynamic contrasts - behind a less open, less transparent overall character. This is another influence on the system's overall dynamic character, perhaps in ways be inversely related to where you'd like to be.

Some combinations can really transcend the limits of boxes connected to boxes with wire - some start making real music in your space and others leave you finding what I think you just have. The only to uncover them is to experiment...

Interesting. Can you be more specific? Some examples would be nice.

... The only to uncover them is to experiment.

Well, for me it is more like wishful thinking

I have some Magnepan's. They're the poster child of speakers that supposedly need a lot of power to sound good. My personal experience is they sound good no matter how much power they receive. I think a lot depends on the particular room setup they're in. For example, sound can come directly from the speakers and can be reflected. It may be you have to hit a certain db level in order to detect reflections and this makes it appear the speaker suddenly expanded its soundstage at a given level.

I dont know if its the software or audyssey or the power but ive got some bose 10.2 towers that sound tons better on my onkyo 809 than on my onkyo 608 in 2.0 and 2.1 with music.

After putting in tons of hours in my shop and house im very dissapointed in the infinity c336 primuss towers and also polk 70 series 2 speakers compared to these bose towers. They just dont compare at all!

Been looking into upgrading my front two speakers yet again for good 2.0 music and have been considering the large GOLDENEAR Tritonsspeakers but am afraid of being dissapointed.

You're comparing american made speakers that sold for over $1,200 years ago to cheaply made chinese speakers that currently sell for $300. Of course, the Bose will sound better.

American made and $1200 dollars or not, Bose has never used quality components. I'd rather own a pair of cheaply made Chinese speakers.

Usually, when speakers are characterized by saying they "come alive when more power is applied", that usually means they sound like ass when played at a low or moderate levels. In other words, it's just a lame excuse. Reminds me of the "sure these speakers sound bad now but wait till you break them in" line of BS. Also, volume can be used to try to mask a bad sound. This is why when A/Bing speakers you have to make sure the levels are matched because a louder speaker may appear to sound better when it really does not.

I'm glad I don't have to push my speakers to higher levels in order to make them sound nice. Good speakers should sound good when played at any level.

Well...I'm not disagreeing; I don't have a dog in this fight...and I'm not "technical" enough to back-up any particular POV with science. But let's take my own (former) brand for example...the aforementioned Dynaudio. Two of the reasons I've heard that a) they need extensive break-in (not sure how big a believer I am in all that), and b) that they need some oomph, some power/current to sound their best are...a) their drivers (which they manufacture themselves, of course) are fairly stiff, and b) the driver excursion...or whatever you call the amount of travel...is fairly deep.

Again, no science to prove such a thing...but that makes, at least, common sense to me. Here's what I do know...what my ears tell me, anyway: Dyns...especially the stand-mount monitors...produce much more bass than you would think them capable. They are really bass-champs, with their smaller speakers AFAIC. Two...they sound fantastic LOUD, and are almost impossible to over-driver/drive to "break-up". I guess my point is...I agree with Dave, ideally...you'd want a speaker that sounds good at a lower volume; but what if the trade-off it doesn't sound as good at higher volumes? Then I guess you've got to pick your poison.

Sure...you could get a speaker that sounds equally great at both; but then that would be perfect, and good luck with that, lol. For example...I now have Harbeths. Amazing speakers...for what they do well. But they certainly don't Rock the house like my old Dyns.

Bose has a bad rep now, but 20+ years ago, they were considered good speakers.

They're still "considered" good speakers. I have a buddy, that just bought a million-dollar house. He's an accomplished, educated man...but knows little about hi-fi and HT. He elicited my help, and it's a good thing; I swear he was about to buy some 5-figure Bose package, from the house-builders.

He only came to me, because he was like "I know Bose is the best...but I'm not sure I want to spend so much", lol. This very board, is filled with "can anything beat Bose..." threads. I swear...I hope half of them are just jokes/trolls; but I don't put it past the vast majority of the public.

I'm not trying to be elitist; most people just don't care, and that's their prerogative. But please; Bose never was actually good, were they?
Edited by CDLehner - 12/24/12 at 12:05pm

I know about bose reputation but these are not typical bose speakers. They arent of the highest quality imho either but they sound much better than the speakers i tried to replace them with and they are in perfect mechanical condition after 25 years.

At first i thought the Infinity speakers sounded better but it didnt take long to realize that they dont...

Not really. The 901 came out when I was in college. We knocked it off using $7.95 Radio Shack FE-103 drivers. Our knock-off sounded better.

What's a "c336"?

That would be the Infinity Classia C336

I meant p363 primuss

Would love to audition the classia for grins though.

I think the saying is just that, a cliche some listeners come up with because they notice a difference in loudness due to a sensitivity difference.

Assuming you are not impinging on the amplifier's maximum output, assuming the amplifier amplifies linearly, and assuming the speaker system "transduces" linearly, there should be no audible difference between a lower powered amplifier and a higher powered amplifier.