question about peak current and watts for amp

[mamzh]

I am looking for MF integrated amp. The local dealer told me a new integrated MF A3.5 will come out on this June with price $1600. It has 125 Watts to 8 ohms and 200 watts to 4 ohms, 70amp peak current, all the other spec is as same as A5. It has the circuit used in A5. At $1600, I can find the used A308 with 150 watts to 8 ohms and 300 watts to 4 ohms, but less peak current 40amp. My question is, for watts and peak current, which one is more important. I want to use it to drive Magnepan MG1.6 in the future. Thanks!

[hermanv]

Since no one else has reponded...

I don't own Maggies but I have read many times two things about them, they like power and need to play loud to "open up"and they like current. Others have said of the two they like current more. Given the design, a planar panel driven by a current running between magnets that seems consistent.

[GlenNewdick]

lets get something clear Amp's and Watts can not be compared directly because Watt's are derived from Current(Amp's) and Voltage ..... P=V x I (P being the power measured in watts V is the voltage and I is the current measured in Amps) so this tells us that the watt's produced are in relation to the current draw and voltage if ones high the others low so a high current capacity amp means it can source more current on demand up to the limitations of the supply voltage.
tube amps have very high working voltages but low current supply but they play loud and clean (generally lol) SS amps generally have low working voltages and hight current capacity's. if you have low sensitivity speakers then you may need more current capacity which means more power or Watt's ok thats what I remember of my electricity

[Kursun]

I am looking for MF integrated amp. The local dealer told me a new integrated MF A3.5 will come out on this June with price $1600. It has 125 Watts to 8 ohms and 200 watts to 4 ohms, 70amp peak current, all the other spec is as same as A5. It has the circuit used in A5. At $1600, I can find the used A308 with 150 watts to 8 ohms and 300 watts to 4 ohms, but less peak current 40amp. My question is, for watts and peak current, which one is more important. I want to use it to drive Magnepan MG1.6 in the future. Thanks!

I love the Ohms Law: V=I*R and the Power Formula W=V*I
You can substitude the V in the Power Formula and get: W=(I*R)*I
Then take out the I (current-amperes) = SquareRoot (W/R)

So if the amp puts out 300 W into 4 Ohms, Then the Current will be I = SquareRoot(300/4)=8.66 Amperes.
Let's assume the impedance of the speaker drops to 1 Ohm!!!! And this same amplifier tries to put out 1200W even briefly, assuming it has a beefy power supply... Then the current passing through its output stage will be I = SquareRoot(1200/1) = 34.64 Amperes

So as you see not even in your wildest dreams the the peak output current shouldn't exceed 40 Amperes. I sincerely don't think the 70 Amperes specification will help you much (especially from a lower powered unit).

Do keep in mind that I had a hard work today. In my country it's night now, and I had a couple of glasses of gin&tonic by now. I hope I haven't miscalculated anything.