| Mekanik22 |
| Some audio companies "exaggerate" their ratings on amplifiers, so how do you figure out what the REAL wattage is? For example, if a company rates the amp at 1200 watts, what is it REALLY? |
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| SplineZ |
look for RMS wattage instead of peak...
and how large the fuses are....
and what voltage the readings are taken at...
James Z |
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| TrevorK |
| Any decent amp will give you a birth sheet in the box, where the actual wattage is rated and at what voltage. |
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| scooby_dooby |
IMO, usually if an amp rates itself in peak power it's a POS, i.e. sony, any good amp will rate in RMS already,
then there's some companies people consider underrated, like US Acoustics and MTX, so it's hard to know exactly. |
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| 2000z |
The new CEA-2006 standard should help you out. Alpine and some other companies are already using it.
The Consumer Electronics Association weighs in
On May 28, 2003, the CEA published standard CEA-2006, "Testing & Measurement Methods for Mobile Audio Amplifiers." This "voluntary" standard advocates a uniform method for determining an amplifier's RMS power. Using 14.4 volts, watts are measured into a 4-ohm impedance load at 1 percent Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) plus noise, at a frequency range (for general purpose amplifiers) of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, according to Brian Markwalter, CEA Engineering Director. This applies to both external amplifiers and the amplifiers within in-dash receivers.
CEA-2006 should allow shoppers to be able to compare car amps and receivers on an equal basis. But how effective can a "voluntary" standard be and how can you know who's abiding to it, and who's still playing with the numbers?
The idea, as Brian Markwalter explained, is to use a special logo. Manufacturers who choose to abide by the new standard will be able to stamp their products with the new CEA logo that will read: "Amp Power Standard CEA-2006 Compliant."
Now this is real progress! Starting in 2004, shoppers can start to look for products with the CEA-2006 logo and be sure that the specs associated with the amplifier are trustworthy. |
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