A power amplifier system (40) uses adaptive distribution of signals through an amplifier architecture of parallel amplifier stages (26 a-d). For example, the power amplifier system can adjust the operation of individual amplifier stages in the amplifier arrangement, for example to reduce power handling capability of the amplifier stages based on information of the signal to be amplified by the amplifier arrangement, such as the power level. To take advantage of the adjusted operation of the amplifier stages, the power amplifier system uses a variable power divider (48) to reapportion the input signal power among the amplifier stages and at least one variable combiner (50) to adaptively combine amplified signals from the amplifier stages in changing proportions. As such, the power amplifier system is reconfigurable and/or can adapt to changing conditions to provide improved performance and/or efficiency.