Car amplifier watts RMS X ? at ohms?

Question

In the easiest possible way, how is this formula broken down?
By each speaker? Pair of speakers? Quality?

Answer 1

A complete power rating contains four components:

--RMS power per channel
--Load impedance
--Frequency range
--Distortion

Not every manufacturer provides all these specs, but if the rating is CEA-2006 compliant they should be there.

An example: A 2-channel amp might be rated at 100 watts per channel, at 4 ohms, from 20Hz-20,000Hz, with .05% distortion.

If you had the amp connected to two 4-ohm speakers, then that means each speaker could get 100 watts. However, you're not limited on how many speakers are connected to an amp channel, as long as the total impedance stays at 4 ohms. That's why an amp power rating can't be "per speaker"; the actual number of speakers may vary.

The impedance (ohm) rating is important because it's easier to provide power with a lower impedance. An amp rated 100 watts per channel at 2 ohms isn't comparable to one rated 100 watts per channel into 4 ohms. Most amps will have multiple ratings for various impedance levels; ie, an amp might be rated for 100 watts at 4 ohms and 150 watts at 2 ohms.

The frequency range is important because it's easier to provide power in a narrow frequency range. An amp rated for 40Hz-15000Hz isn't comparable to one rated for 20Hz-20,000Hz. CEA-2006-compliant amps will always be rated for the same frequency range.

The distortion rating isn't all that important as long as it's below a certain level. When listening to music, you generally won't notice distortion levels below about 1%. That means an amp rated at 0.5% distortion will sound the same to you as an amp rated at 0.05%. Some decks, however, have distortion ratings as high as 5%. An amplifier with a 5% distortion rating isn't comparable to an amplifier with the same power rated at 0.5%.

Answer 2

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