[Zeppmeister]

I've had the very nice Monolith dual AKM DAC/THX Amp for nearly two years. Never had a DAC or amp before, so nothing to compare it to, but I've enjoyed it. My IEMs and now Focal Clear sound great powered by it.

I recently connected with a local audiophile who has some gear he was going to let me test drive, such as the Audeze LCD-X. We met just before I purchased the Clear, and the LCD was up for consideration as well. Noting my amp, he said "planars like power and your THX amp is quiet but not super muscular when current demand peaks."

Okay, yes, planars need a little more oomph. But bigger picture, I'm guessing "power" in this usage doesn't translate as "loudness." Rather, it's the power to start, and stop, the driver. I haven't ever come close to maxing the loudness of the Monolith, as I like to protect my hearing.

So here's where I could use some coaching, as I'm still a newbie in some areas: Does "power" in this context mean a more powerful amp will be better able to output (drive) the details of the audio signal without the need for increased volume?

If yes, does that mean my Monolith is not necessarily sending my ears all the "data" it should, regardless of volume?

Thanks in advance for educating me on this.

 

[technobear]

In terms of sensitivity to power, the LCD-X is within a gnat's whisker of the Clear. Your Monolith will have no problem with it.

The rest of your post is hooey (no offence).

 

[Zeppmeister]

The rest of your post is hooey (no offence).

well, I thought there might be some hooey involved.