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RMS Power vs. Dynamic Power

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=36402
Printed Date: April 27, 2024 at 10:56 PM


Topic: RMS Power vs. Dynamic Power

Posted By: Audiobahn1500
Subject: RMS Power vs. Dynamic Power
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 12:04 PM

I was looking at some new amps and i came across some MTX ones specifically the 801D and it says:

RMS Power 12.5 VDC                                                       Dynamic Power 14.4 VDC

2 Ohm Load: 500w x 1                                                      2 Ohm Load: 800w x 1

4 Ohm Load: 250w x 1                                                      4 Ohm Load: 400w x 1

Well my question is what do those both mean (RMS Power and Dynamic Power) cause i'm really looking at the 800 watts for what i need to run but will it actually just put out the 500? Thanks for the help




Replies:

Posted By: fuseblower
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 12:30 PM

RMS is the continuous power and what the amp will play at all day long as long as it has a 12.5 volt.

Dynamic Power is what the amp will put out for brief seconds while at 14.4 volts.





Posted By: Leif
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 1:07 PM
Here's a big myth buster:

Power (watts) is voltage squared divided by ohms.

Inversely, Voltage is the square root of power multiplied by ohms.

This tells us that the amp is putting out 32 volts continuous RMS power at 12.5 VDC and 40 volts briefly at 14.4 volts.

The difference between 32 and 40 volts is only 2 dB's!

So, 500 watts versus 800 watts, while it looks huge on paper, is only at most 2dB's in real life. Half a click on your volume control, probably.

My point is, it probably won't matter at all (in real life) whether it's putting out 500 or 800. To have a clear audible difference (subjectively) you'd need to quadruple the power (for a 6 dB difference, double voltage), and some people don't even consider THAT to be "twice as loud".

Hope I'm not too confusing. Bottom line, don't worry about it.

///Leif




Posted By: Audiobahn1500
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 1:28 PM
Hey Leif, that really cleared it up for me thanks alot i'll think about that amp now thanks again




Posted By: 94legend
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 1:31 PM
Here's a big myth buster:

RMS is the continuous power and what the amp will play at all day long as long as it has a 12.5 volt.

Dynamic Power is what the amp will put out for brief seconds while at 14.4 volts.


Power (watts) is voltage squared divided by ohms.

Inversely, Voltage is the square root of power multiplied by ohms.

This tells us that the amp is putting out 32 volts continuous RMS power at 12.5 VDC and 40 volts briefly at 14.4 volts.

The difference between 32 and 40 volts is only 2 dB's!

So, 500 watts versus 800 watts, while it looks huge on paper, is only at most 2dB's in real life. Half a click on your volume control, probably.

My point is, it probably won't matter at all (in real life) whether it's putting out 500 or 800. To have a clear audible difference (subjectively) you'd need to quadruple the power (for a 6 dB difference, double voltage), and some people don't even consider THAT to be "twice as loud".

Hope I'm not too confusing. Bottom line, don't worry about it.




Posted By: 94legend
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 1:50 PM

Can you define these terms?

Ohm:
Ohm Impedance:
RMS:
Watts:
2/3-way speaker:
Ground:
Hz frequency response:
+ db:
low pass crossover:
- db:
Volts:
Crossover:
bass boost:
AGU:
Power Output:
Ground Input:
variable low-pass filter:
SQ:
# amps:
 1-ohm stable in 2-channel mode :
preouts:
bridged:
mono:
parallel:
SPL:
variable high-pass filter:
preamp outputs:
variable bass boost :
many more questions @ www.pwned.nl/





Posted By: Alpine Guy
Date Posted: July 29, 2004 at 8:01 PM
lol

-------------
2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.




Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: July 30, 2004 at 12:38 AM

I always heard that it took twice the power to make a 3 db difference and that 3 decibels sounded twice as loud.  We hear loudness on a curved scale, curving sharply upward once we get past "quiet".   87 db is considered quiet, but just add 50% of that more and the sound is louder than close up at a rock concert.  The scale defies the logic of numbers.   A good example of this effect is the increase in db's by adding extra speaker cone area.  For instance, you start with one speaker.  The rule of thumb is that doubling the cone area gives you an increase of 3 db.  Well, simple, you say.  Add one speaker to get the 3 db.  Now to get another 3 db, you have to double what you have, going to 4 speakers.  You want 9 more decibels?  How about adding another 32 speakers!  If you started at a quiet sound of 87 db, you doubled the sound at 90 db by adding one speaker.  But to get to just 102 decibels, you had to add another 31 speakers. 

That's the big difference in SPL contests:  anybody can come in with a 130 db system, but to get to 150 db is a feat.  Only a 20 db difference between them, and only a 15% increase, but in reality a huge difference in output.  When it's loud, a decibel counts for a lot.  You see SPL contests break it down to tenths of a decibel.

For your answer, as fuseblower has defined above, always look at the RMS rating, and match that to what you want to achieve.  Published "peak" ratings have no value, if you are in the know.



-------------
Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.




Posted By: Francious70
Date Posted: July 30, 2004 at 8:30 AM
Stevdart, you are correct. dB are measured on a logurithmic scale, so for every 3dB, you are getting twice the volume. That the reason that a jet plane is only like 135dB where a rock concert, which sounds quite a bit quieter is like 120dB.

Paul




Posted By: Leif
Date Posted: July 30, 2004 at 5:47 PM
Hey 94legend, that's the second time. Would you please stop copying my entire posts (and stripping off the signature) and posting under your own name?

Thank you.

///Leif




Posted By: Leif
Date Posted: July 30, 2004 at 5:52 PM
Stevdart, partly correct.

3dB requires a doubling of power.

6dB is a doubling of voltage (thus a doubling of amplitude / pressure), 4x the power, and sounds "twice as loud" to people who work with audio, and know what 6dB sounds like.

10dB is 10x the power, and sounds "twice as loud" to the average person.

The 6dB/10dB points can be argued (most literature simply says that 10dB sounds twice as loud) but 3dB really doesn't sound twice as loud.

You're ABSOLUTELY right though about having to double the number of speakers (and amps) for an extra 3dB. It really seems pointless doesn't it? :)

///Leif





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