Basic Question: Amp gain verses Power

[AmpsRus]

Comparing the Volksamp Aleph 30 to an Aleph 5:

Both amps have a gain of about 20 dB, but the Aleph 30 has 30 watts into 8 ohms while the Aleph 5 has 60 watts in 8 ohms.

I assume for the same input level the "loudness" is the same between the 2 amps given the similar gain?

 

[Zen Mod]

two cars having same time 0-60, one of them having greater max speed

 

[AmpsRus]

Thanks Zen Mod. I assumed the greater an amps power the better it will drive difficult loads.

 

[Zen Mod]

in most cases, yes

it this case too , I believe consensus is that Aleph 5 is bigger amp than Aleph 30

 

[PRR]

two cars ...

Actually, in cars:

Power is power.

Gain is how hard you have to press the go-pedal.

I have an old truck with bad throttle leverage, gummy throttle cable, too stiff spring on the throttle, a wad of carpet under the pedal: "low gain", I have to push real hard to get anything.

That throttle could be a 45HP econo-engine or a 870HP turbo-Hellcat: power is not related to gain. (Unless the gain is so poor that my foot can't command all the power available.)

I had a car with very easy pedal but not much power. I could control it from zero to 90HP with one toe. Pushing whole-foot still only got 90HP.

Power costs MONEY. (That same car with a 200HP engine was $500 more.) Gain is sometimes cheap. (In chips, "infinite gain" may be on tap and a resistor choice sets a useful gain.)