The Meaning Of The Power Wattage Parameter Of Current Stereo Amps
Contemplating several of the technical specifications of modern audio amps, one cannot help but be at a loss in trying to compare different types and terms, like “t-amp models”, “THD” etc. In this editorial, I will have a closer look at one of the most fundamental of these terms: “amplifier output power”. This term is also called “wattage”.
If you are considering to buy an audio amp to set up your home speakers, you will time and again be faced with a number of bizarre technical jargon describing its performance. However how do these numbers relate to how the amplifier sounds and how are these to be interpreted? Next I will provide a number of details about “amplifier output power”. This specification is frequently misunderstood. It is important to look quite closely at how the manufacturer publishes this parameter.
The output wattage of the amps is given as “wattage”. This describes how loud your amp can drive your loudspeakers. If you have a small space then you don’t need much more than several watts. If you wish to set up loudspeakers outside or in a live show then you will need several hundred watts of power. For best audio quality, you may want to choose an amplifier that offers higher power than you need as most amplifiers are going to exhibit increasing distortion once the audio output power goes up.
Wattage is either given as “Watts peak” which means the amp can produce quick bursts of this level of power or “Watts rms” which shows how much wattage the amp can provide for a longer amount of time. The peak wattage rating in the past frequently led to vendors displaying huge wattage ratings for small amplifiers. On the other hand, in practice those amplifiers would not be able to maintain bigger levels of output power for larger periods of time.
Music and voice is not uniform by way of loudness. As such the peak power rating is still essential, although not as important as the rms power specification. Ideally the amplifier is going to show both the rms and peak power rating. Having a large peak power spec is going to ensure enough headroom for music peaks that are widespread in audio signals. This is since at specific moments the signal will show bursts of power that by far exceed the average output power of the signal.
However, be conscious of the fact that the greatest output power also depends on what sort of loudspeakers you are using, specifically the impedance of the speakers. Speakers typically have impedances between 4 and 8 Ohms. Because of the limited amplifier supply voltage, the maximum output wattage will be half if you attach an 8-Ohm loudspeaker of the peak power that the amp is able to deliver to a 4-Ohm speaker. If the maximum output power is not referenced to a speaker impedance, you ought to call the maker. Typically a 4-Ohm speaker is utilized as a reference.
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