[Scott F.]

Hey, no problem at all. Glad I could be of help 

[opnly bafld]

The BIG question is........5 watts enough Bob?

Lin

[Bob in St. Louis]

Lin, that IS a good question.
At first, I didn't think it was enough for HT duty, even with 96Db drivers.
Now.......Quite possibly so.

Maybe.

If the wife would stop renting chick flicks from Netflix, and get something with stuff blowing up I'd be better able to answer. 
Actually, I am quite impressed with what 5 watts will do. I could use just a tad more SPL, but not by much. Not much at all.
It seems to have better sound quality (and maybe louder???) with it switched on 'pre-amp' and the IC's inputting in the top instead of pre-amp switched off and IC's coming in the rear and using the onboard volume control.
Scott explained some of this to me the day he repaired it. When I brought it home, it was the first time I tried it switched as "pre". Big difference in the way it sounds. Is that because Scott did something that improved the sound? Or the way it's wired now. I like the sound so much the way it is, I haven't dared switch it back to see what it does.

One things for certain......Lin has given be a bug I won't be able to get rid of.

Bob

[opnly bafld]

Actually, I am quite impressed with what 5 watts will do. I could use just a tad more SPL, but not by much. Not much at all.

One things for certain......Lin has given me a bug I won't be able to get rid of.

Bob

You would really like my 15 watt/ch PSE, no problems with SPL. 

Is that bug this  or this  ?

Lin

[Bob in St. Louis]

You would really like my 15 watt/ch PSE, no problems with SPL. 

Umm......Dude, If you decide to sell this one it'll be a stretch. Not sure I want to know how much the other is.
Let's see, the Almarro is 5 watts....Double the power (10watts) add 6Db for two drivers. Add another 5 watts brings about 3Db more, right??
Yea, If I'm doing the math right, that should be enough. 

Is that bug this  or this  ?

That bug is this:

  Wow, that sounds good!
 aa Yea, I'm liken' what I'm hearin'
  Wife says, "HOW much?!"
  Why is this so much better than solid state?
  Shut up and listen to the music.
  Oh Yea, that sounds good.
  Damn, how much does this cost?
  How much do I have?!
  I hope music in Heaven sounds this good.

How's that for an answer? 

Bob

[opnly bafld]

  Umm......Dude, If you decide to sell this one it'll be a stretch. Not sure I want to know how much the other is.


Bob

Of my 4 tube amps, "the other" one is the only one NOT for sale. 

Lin

[Jon L]

....Double the power (10watts) add 6Db for two drivers. Add another 5 watts brings about 3Db more, right??
Yea, If I'm doing the math right, that should be enough. 

That's why Almarro makes A318B at 15 WPC.

http://www.sixmoons.com/audioreviews/almarro5/318.html

[Audiovista]

Let's see, the Almarro is 5 watts....Double the power (10watts) add 6Db for two drivers. Add another 5 watts brings about 3Db more, right??
Yea, If I'm doing the math right, that should be enough. 

Hmmmm, actually, from 5W to 15W increase is 10*log(15/5)=4.77dB

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks Jon, you're trying to spend my money as fast as Lin is. 
I feel like I'm being 'double teamed'. 

Mr. Vista, And just when I thought I had this watt/Db/gain thing figured out you go and throw an equation like that in the mix......
You stumped me for sure.
I thought for every doubling of the power you gain 3Db, and for every additional driver you add another 3Db??? 

Bob

[Audiovista]

Mr. Vista, And just when I thought I had this watt/Db/gain thing figured out you go and throw an equation like that in the mix......
You stumped me for sure.
I thought for every doubling of the power you gain 3Db, and for every additional driver you add another 3Db??? 

Bob

Bob,

You are correct, but I figured that you already have 2x5W and are thinking of going to 2x15W....so the math stays the same, dB-wise (3x the power, regardless of actual wattage). If you are going from 5W to 2x15W, then you get 7.77dB gain (6x the power).

I think....which is not my strong suit on Friday at 3PM...

Best,
Boris

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks for the reply Boris.

Here's where I made my mistake:

you already have 2x5W and are thinking of going to 2x15W

True, 15w IS three times the power, but the way I thought that this had to be figured wasn't as simple as saying, "five times three equals fifteen, so it's three times the power", I thought you had to start with the "five" and double that, meaning ten, then fifteen is fifty percent more than ten. I was overcomplicating the math.
I understand now, Thanks Boris.

Bob

[Jon L]

These dB/watt calculations are misleading in many cases.  Sure, doubling watts means 3dB louder, but in the end how a speaker's drivers/impedance curve matches with a given amp's output impedance/current determines how "effortless" or "strained" a system will sound. 

With "normal" speakers of 88 dB/8 Ohm rating, there is a WORLD of difference between 5 wpc Almarro A250a MkII and 15 wpc A318B in authority, control, jump factor, liveliness way beyond the mere total capable dB's. 

BTW, Gallo Ref 3 series (88dB) is driven to bliss by A318B 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Good points Jon, well taken.

Man, you guys are good salesman.

Bob

[opnly bafld]

 
With "normal" speakers of 88 dB/8 Ohm rating, there is a WORLD of difference between 5 wpc Almarro A250a MkII and 15 wpc A318B in authority, control, jump factor, liveliness way beyond the mere total capable dB's. 

But I had already sold my A318A BEFORE I loaned Bob my A205A.
(and being a 2 ch music only guy I thought 5 watts should be enough for his Hawthorne Silver Iris drivers )

Lin

[Bob in St. Louis]

But I had already sold my A318A BEFORE I loaned Bob my A205A.

OK, you're just being mean now. 

and being a 2 ch music only guy...........

Who's a 2 channel only guy?? ME???? 
When all is said and done, I'll be nearing an even dozen 15" drivers. 
And yes.....Two of them will be for music only.

Bob

[opnly bafld]

"I" was after "2 ch music guy" meaning ME.

I was going to bring a 2 watt/ch amp also, (but USPS couldn't get their act together and took 5 days to deliver a 2-3 day Priority package to me ) but it probably would not have worked for a power hungry guy like you Bob.

Lin

[Bob in St. Louis]

OK, Gotcha Lin.
Yea, I doubt two watts would do justice for home theater duty. Great for music I'm sure but would be lacking for HT.
I do seem to be power hungry.  One of my goals is to have enough crap turned on to provide some heat here in the basement during winter time. Maybe a 5 channel PP amp with a fan to distribute the heat into the room. That should do it. 
Now THAT'S power hungry.  aa

Bob