Are you looking for a new amplifier, but can't see the forest for the trees with all those different wattages? Then we are here to help you! Check this blog to find out what you need.
Tubes or transistor?
What is important to know is that there is a difference between tube and transistor amplifiers (also called solid-state amplifiers).
You may have heard that tube amplifiers are and/or can be louder than transistor amplifiers, but this is not true in theory. It is true that tube amplifiers sound louder than transistor amplifiers because the tubes in the amplifier distort the sound and can make it sound up to 12dB louder than a transistor amplifier.
Higher wattage means more volume, right?
This is not entirely correct. In a sense, more wattage means more volume, but this isn't the only factor you need to consider when looking for more volume in an amplifier. It is important to look at the efficiency of an amplifier if you are looking for more volume. Efficiency means: converting power into sound. This is expressed in decibels (dB). It is also not the case that if you have a 100 watt amplifier and switch to a 200 watt amplifier, you will have twice as much volume. A standard formula is that as soon as you double the wattage, you gain an additional 3dB. So if you go from 100 to 200 watts, your amplifier is 3dB louder. But this may differ depending on the return.
