Amp Power Required for RTi8/RTi10

[tomacco]

I just bought a Soundstage One Hybrid Integrated Tube Amp (25 wpc - Chinese knock-off)), and am wondering whether it is capable of driving the Polk RTi10 (89 dB/w/m). or the RTi8 (90 dB/w/m)?

[MillerLiteScott]

It will run them but not make them sing. You will at least get a taste for tubes.

[Sherardp]

buy an adcom, parasound, sunfire, or outlaw. 200wpc is more than enough.

[reeltrouble1]

No comparison for me between parasound and sunfire

and

outlaw and adcom

at least in my book.

Those are just four companies of many. I dunno, I would recommend you buy a high current amp with a minimum amperage pk2pk rating of 25-30, however, the higher the better, look for a well designed circuit board, sans integrated circuitry, check the slew rate which determines how fast the amplifier is, maybe something around 150-200 to start, generally amps with many smaller capacitors are faster than ones with a few large ones, see what kind of resistors, metal film? or something less. Check what type of power transformer is used, how it might be shielded, the shorter the signal path the better inside the amp, depending on the design some amps have loads of headroom like say, NAD, nice company, but they need that big headroom due to their power design, others do not , there is so much power to begin with.

I would use your new found amp for a while, get to know it, how it sounds, of course its going to work, easily pushing 96 db which is quite loud, research and ask questions, its a fun part of the hobby, well, at least for me.

Now if your not into all that just join the 200 wpc gang and you are going to be all right, still cool, some people just want to sit down and spend a few hours with the music and could give a damm about why it is like it is, nothing wrong at all with that approach and arguably its can be the best way to go.

If you are into tubes in general, its a bit different ballgame, want an integrated amp that will take you very far look at things like the Musical Fidelity, Balanced Audio Technology and Carey designs, Anthem also has nice hybrid amplifier not sure about an integrated, maybe Jolida who has some nice mid-fi stuff, just to name some to start.

Welcome to Club Polk hang around and have some fun, we are quite a passionate bunch..

RT1