The relationship between wattage and loudness is not linear . It takes 10 X the power to merely double the loudness , and twice the power only yields a 3 dB increase , which is barely noticeable . So , all else being equal , a 100 W amp is negligibly louder than a 50 W amp , and only twice as loud as a 10 W amp . However , the 100 W amp will get you more clean headroom . You will be able to achieve a louder volume before the amp starts breaking up and distorting . That said , that ' s still likely to be unnecessarily loud for any situation I ' ve ever played in , save one outdoor gig at a desert casino . Some people just like having that headroom , and that ' s fine others just need that high wattage to feel good about themselves .