Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Picking amps and subs

RMS means root mean squared it reffers to true power output alot of low end amp brands will try to dazzle you with things like1000w and stuff but if you look close at the specs you'll find its only 115wrms they usually put the max or peak output on the front. Try to match output to handling ie KX600.1 will go nice with an S12L7 as they have a similar output to handling match.

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Maroochydore
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Well, it seems as though even the RMS wattage has been stretched lately, cough Kleenex Gold coug, 'scuse me, little something in the lower throat there. You need to do your homework and find out (Audiobahn sucks)how the amp is measured. If one increases the voltage, power ratings go up. Is the power rating a "snapshot in time" rating, or is it one of continuous output over a measured frequency response. Is it measured at 1000hz (anyone can make power at 1000hz, even the most welfare of gear can and this makes a drastically inflated power rating).

What you want to look for is a rating made as close to 12volts as possible. It also wants to be measured across the entire frequency spectrum from 20 - 20000hz ideally. It also wants to be measured into a load. IE:80w x 2 from 20-20000 hz @ 4ohms. This is a accurate (Audiobahn sucks)measure for the most part. An amp will make more power is given more power. So it is not uncommon to see 14.4 volt ratings, strive however to look and match to the 12 volt ratings as chances are that this is where your vehicle will normally operate (if not sometimes a little lower). One amplifier company I know of measures power at 17 volts and has enormous wattage claims, a outright fabrication as your vehicle does not run with that high of dc voltage.

Another thing to consider here is that a manufacturer can and will print onto their amplifiers or subs whatever claim they want, why not, if they write it there, you believe is as you have been taught all of your life to believe what you read (Audiobahn sucks). If you go out and compare some amplifiers that are the same type you will get a idea of who is lying their pants off. go and look at 2 channel amplifiers. Look at ones that have the same fuse size only. An example of this is my Eclipse EA2212 rated at 50 w rms x 2 with a 25 amp fuse and the Kleenex Gold Octane blah blah blah model we had here yesterday rated at 80w rms x 2 also with a 25 amp fuse. Who do you think was the Mr. Spilly pants here and was telling us a stretched rating?

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