Anyone belive the ratings on High power american amps?

Question

some claim 2000watts per channel..some are PLA2220, Vibe286, LA2278... anyone have one tested? or curently using one?

Answer 1

The CEA-2006 standards set some rules for amplifier power output claims. If a company reports "CEA-2006 Compliant" power ratings, you can believe them; anything else should be taken with a grain of salt (or, for some max power ratings, a whole shaker).

Answer 2

Dude, use the RMS rating, not peak. If it is not 2006 CEA compliant, the RMS rating is probably frivolous also. Like I said before, you can calculate the estimated power out put by looking at the fuse.

P=IxE

Power (wattage) = Intensity (amperes) X Electromotive Force (volts)

80 amps (fuse rating) multiplied by voltage (12 volts) = 960 watts
This is the total amount of power being consumed by the amp. But you still have to account for the efficiency of the amplifier. Class A/B amp usually run at about 50% efficiency. Class D is about 80%. Next equation;
Power (960 watts) multiple by 50% = 480watts

Answer 3

What you see is the max wattage. The actual rms wattage (what power you can expect to consistently see) is sometimes as little as 1/5. The pyle amp actually has an rms, bridged, of only 600 watts. That is plenty of power but what happens to the unused power? The amp gets hot. Look for an amp that has a 2:1 max power to rms power wattage. These are generally better sounding as well.

Answer 4

It seems manufacturers have gone back to publishing peak or even peak-to-peak power. Unless it actually says RMS the power ouptput is misleading, and deliberately so. Considering a couple of watts is really loud, and anything over 10 watts per channel is so loud in my living room you can't have a conversation (I have power meters), and 200 watts per channel can toast bread quickly, I take such figures with a grain of salt.