RMS Watts vs Peak and Max Watts, Amplifier Power Explained

In this video I explain why you never want to use Peak or Max power when purchasing and setting up an amplifier. Instead you want to always use RMS power. In this video I explain that RMS stands for root mean square and show you why that is the best way to measure amplifier power.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:15 RMS Defined
0:20 AC Voltage on an Oscilloscope
0:50 Peak Voltage
1:40 Why Peak is Stupid
2:18 Negative Voltage
3:20 RMS
4:12 Calculating RMS volts
6:20 Convert from Volts to Watts
*As an amazon associate marketer I may earn a small commission on qualified purchases. As an affiliate marketer I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase at parts express.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I you found this helpful or useful please consider supporting the channel. www.patreon.com/DIYAudioGuy

[@timbuckohfive2751]

Holy shit do you even know the difference between AC and DC voltage. Do you have any clue on the difference between an AC sinwave and a DC sinewave. Please tell me how you get an AC sinewave from a DC source.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@timbuckohfive2751 The output from the amplifier is not DC voltage, it is AC. The RCA signal coming from the head unit is also AC. The only part that is DC is the 12-volt power supply provided by the car's charging system.

[@timbuckohfive2751]

@@DIYAudioGuy An audio output is a DC current in which the voltage varies in amplitude. Its not AC.

[@elliotlaw1590]

@@timbuckohfive2751 nice effort, but audio signals are AC, put an oscilloscope on your amp output if your not sure, you'll see a sign wave, the frequency (Hz) is the number of times the peak of the sine wave passes over a certain point in 1 second, high pass and low pass filters would simply not work if the signal was DC, as the frequency would be constant, and just a flat line on an oscilloscope

[@timbuckohfive2751]

@@elliotlaw1590 Thats where you are wrong. Its a direct current. For it to be ac the polarity has to be changed. You get a sign wave because its music, it changes frequency. It doesnt change ploarity. Alternating current alternates between a positive voltage to a negative voltage. Measure the voltage coming out and you will see it never goes below 0v. I can take a variable output DC power supply hook an oscope and turn the output up and down and it will make a sign wave. Its still DC power.

[@nja3224]

Ok, I understood just about NONE of that, but I walked away knowing to focus on the RMS vs Peak power, so thank you!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

If that's all you picked up that's all you really need to know.

[@spennington86]

Great content! You really explain this well and break it down into layman's terms. Thanks you!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@redman4076]

I enjoy your video's so much more than allot of other channels you never talk down to your audience like guys like EMF who act like just because they are very knowledgeable in car audio that they are some sort savior lol Keep up the great content👍🏽

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@leonray]

Here I am sitting thinking this will be a simple explanation video… low and behold it becomes so much more. Bravo sir! Nice to see proper amplifier gain setup and more information about the sine wave. Good stuff! 👌

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Simple is good, but complicated and explained well is better. That is what I was shooting for. Was able to pull that off?

[@leonray]

@@DIYAudioGuy Very much pulled it off! It’s nice to see the formulas behind it all and try to understand the concepts

[@superchile9640]

Great, easy to understand information.

[@ilfaraone58]

soundman sent me here. you didn't disappoint,subbed!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Hey thanks! Doug is hilarious, I had a great big laugh last night when I caught the video.

[@ilfaraone58]

@@DIYAudioGuy he never fails to make me laugh my ass off

[@colbylaro9361]

Excellent video justin..good info great explanation, thanks.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Share it was somebody that needs to know this!

[@Dahita]

Thanks a lot for your great videos, much appreciated!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad you like them!

[@ThomasCoryate]

I had noticed that when manufactures gave both peak and RMS, RMS was roughly three-quarters of peak. But it's great to know it exactly, and why. Thanks!

[@bournelucid]

My father always told me this, whenever looking for an amp and for speakers too, look at the rms rating never peak.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Your father was a wise man!

[@kazzng2087]

Anyone who knows anything about audio should know RMS is more important. Sadly some people don't.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@kazzng2087 and that's been going on for decades.

[@denisbasshead7787]

Too many companys give fake rms almost all

[@alvinpong2374]

Same here

[@koolBOY8323]

i always had it explained to me as peak is what it will do, right before the smoke comes out. RMS is what it does under normal circumstances. so do you want to run it all once, for a second or 2 at 2000 watts, or for the next 10 years at 500 watts?

[@davidsumpter4933]

Very informative video, thanks for sharing

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Share it with somebody that does not know the difference.

[@sparky5860]

Dude...... Thank you so much for your very clear explanation.........👍

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad to help.

[@workingclassperson2124]

Fun great channel. Glad I subscribed!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I am also glad you subscribed!

[@NathanOakley1980]

Great video subbed.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Welcome to the adventure!

[@gritayounes3125]

Thanks a lot.. if i choose tpa3116 50watts*2+100w sub .. what is the best speakers should i put .. i think is 35w rms for the speaker and 50 watts rms for the sub ..tell if alright

[@ChrisDIYerOklahoma]

NICE! Thanks for doing a video on RMS-peak-volts-etc. I have been a closet DIY speaker building nut-job since the late 1970s. So many of these new digital chip amplifiers have inflated advertised wattages and are severely misleading. Most are about 1/2 their advertised wattages. I go by RMS wattages and I think that should be the standard for rating amplifiers. You also rarely see amplifiers nowadays showing "how quiet" they are (THD and TIM percentages).

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sandronejm]

Buddy, how are you doing? Nice video! I am interested on JBL IRX108bt active speaker it has 200w (rms) and 1300w (peak). But there is other EON610 which has 500w (rms) and 1000w (peak). They both play 124spl and frequency extension very similar (54Hz-20kHz and the second 59Hz-20kHz). If both play equally regarding pressure, (taking into account they have 8Inches/10Inches) whats the IRX or EON is better for me enjoy?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I'm not familiar with either one of those products. I googled them and it looks like these are pro audio/PA speakers? I don't know enough about those to give you any reliable advice.

[@str8upkickyaindanuts289]

@5:25 The reason you take the square root of the summation is to reverse the previously squared samples that were summed. Pretty straight forward, you square the sample to remove the negative values, then add them up, then reverse the process you used to remove the negative values by taking the square root of the sum. I just discovered this channel and very happy to see someone explain these topics so clearly, great work dude! The biggest hurdle for most people is math, I remember being afraid of square roots and other simple math but only because I didn't know it, took years for it all to click. Now it's embarrassing to even admit I was afraid of math and avoided it like COVID. Ha ha! I have a hunch that bankers know this, which resulted in things like compounding interest.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I have found that a very small amount of math creates a very large amount of power.

[@str8upkickyaindanuts289]

@@DIYAudioGuy Math and physics, the basics using algebra level math isn't that difficult conceptually and explains the world we live in.

[@amitsookhoo2647]

Question so the md26 B&c is it 350 rms or 700 rms

[@kubaz2308]

Cool video! But I have a weird question regarding my subwoofer... I wanted to set it up using your guide on how to set gain with a multimeter. Its a sony Xplod and on Sony's website it says it's rated power is 300 Watts.... But the box clearly says 420 Watts CEA RMS Power, and it isn't a mistake because I actually have 2 of these subs and its the same on both boxes. Which number should I take into consideration when applying my gain settings? The rated power, or the CEA RMS power, and what is the difference?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

In that case you're going to need an oscilloscope or a DD-1 to set the gains. The multimeter trick only works when you have reliable specifications. But your best bet is to go with the lower wattage number. I'm also not sure from your comment what you are trying to do. You mentioned the power rating of the subwoofer, this is all based on the power rating for the amplifier.

[@kubaz2308]

Thanks for the answer. I know its based on amp power but my amp can output a bit more power than the subwoofer can handle, So I don't want to set it too high and damage the subwoofer. I'm going to go with the lower number then, because I only have a multimeter. I will also ask my more experienced friend to help me make sure there isn't any distortion or other kind of problem. Thanks for helping me out!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@kubaz2308 If the amp is more powerful than the subwoofer then use the subwoofer RMS power.

[@v13audio]

Awesome video Justin......breakin it down for all of the non-techies out there!!! Side Q......what video editing software do you use for your KZbin vids?? (Content looks incredible btw)

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Camtasia Studio, it is easy to use and it's great for screen captures. But I don't necessarily recommend it.

[@v13audio]

@@DIYAudioGuy what do you recommend for Mac??

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@v13audio If you have an iPad consider using LumaFusion. Another good one is DaVinci Resolve, I'm pretty sure that one is free. It will do most everything that premiere pro will do, expect a steep learning curve. If you're just getting started stick with iMovie, after you get rolling then consider upgrading to a full featured editing package.

[@prakashlakshmipathi9931]

Hi sir I have pioneer gm-a6704 model amplifier I don't know how much rms in this amp and which subwoofer can I use I select 1200watts infinity primus 1270 model and rockfordfosgate r1-s412 which one is correct suitable subwoofer in this amplifier pls tell me sir

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I found the specs in under 30 seconds via a google search. That is a 4-channel amp. If you bridge it then either of those subwoofers will work OK with the amp.

[@redshield3296]

I’m looking at some speakers made in Switzerland that are 800 WRMS 4 ohms. Does that mean the peak power going to the tweeter is 1600 Watts?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yea, but it gets 0 watts twice as often as it gets 1600. So that doesn't matter. Plus tweeters don't ever get or need more than a few watts.

[@roofpizza1250]

I'd imagine you've taken apart more than a few active loudspeakers/subs. Are the drivers typically low impedance? IE, is a Klipsch subwoofer amp that is claimed to be 200 watts actually a 100 watt amp running @ 4 ohm rather than 8 ohms?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It's hit or miss. Most home audio powered subwoofers use a 4 ohm driver.

[@roofpizza1250]

@@DIYAudioGuy thanks.

[@krustythecarhauler]

I wish you would do a video on tuning in a system with a 7 band eq 4 channel and a sub amp

[@DIYAudioGuy]

There's nothing in here about setting the EQ, but this will get you started. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmG9iaRomtRgha8

[@treeper1175]

Here is a question that I can't seem to get answered. Can a 500 WATT RMS @ 2 OHMS amp power a sub box rated at 600 WATT RMS @ 2 OHMS and 1000 WATT Peak. I know you can overpower speakers but what if you underpowered them? Will they still work but just not be as loud?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes, you can use a 500 watt amp with a 600 what speaker. You are exactly right, it will work but it will not be as loud. There is myth that "under powering" speakers will cause them to blow. This is not true. What actually happens is that some users will under power a speaker and then compensate for it by turning up the gain to the point of clipping. The clipping is what destroys the speaker.

[@gakudzu7282]

Also, considering that you need to double the power to gain 3db(typically the smallest increase the ear can detect), you won't hear the difference between 500 and 600W.

[@dachreport]

Thanks so much for this video. I have 2 speakers 300w peak power each. Can I use a powered mixer with 600w rms?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Not sure what you mean by a power mixer. Like a pro-audio console?

[@dachreport]

@@DIYAudioGuy it's an amp and mixer. Pa system for vocals and guitar. Mostly for band equipment

[@charleyweinhardt]

so elac sub1010 vs dayton sub1000 60w rms 120peak vs 75w rms peak100 what does that say about the sound quality having a low peak above the rms, and/or could Elac be giving a lower safer rms showing more respect to the consumer?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I don't think you will hear a big difference.

[@LoveItDirtyOffroad]

I like this guy cuz he reminds me of captain spaulding! 🤘

[@DIYAudioGuy]

"What's the matter kid? Don't you like clowns?"

[@superchile9640]

Haha I never made the connection but I can’t I see it now!

[@e-zflow227]

So the RMS values and Peak values should always be 1:2? What about when a company is selling their sub as a 1000 RMS woofer that’s 1500 peak? Should it be run at 750W? Or is true peak 2000w? And how can I figure this out?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I don't know, I've seen a lot of subwoofers rated that way. More importantly, the peak/max number is meaningless and it should be ignored.

[@akolngto9314]

@@DIYAudioGuy how about even single term. In dvc is still function at 2ohms. And thean if you parallel the two coil reault is 1ohm, so my e the wtts peak is true? Or maybe ex. Gevin is 500wrms the true wttms rms per coil is only 250wrms? If you combine 500rms.?

[@travisgulley2652]

Does more rms power make the subwoofer louder and make it hit harder

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes, plus a more powerful amp to make it work.

[@clickonmike]

I was with you until the math started, then I started thinking "I think I'd better replace my cars lower control arm this weekend ".

[@beachlife4704]

My head unit has 14RMS. I want to replace the speakers but I can't find speakers anywhere near that RMS. Do I have to have an amplifier or is there a way around this? Thank you.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

No, you don't need an amplifier. When I was first getting back into car audio I was running some 75 watt coaxials off of my head unit. Now you might want an amplifier. But, after market speakers will work without them.

[@beachlife4704]

@@DIYAudioGuy Thank you. I have a Pioneer AVH-x4800bs head unit with stock component speakers. I just want to replace them with something a little better. I was thinking some lower rms Alpine components. I will eventually do a complete upgrade but my wife is three weeks out from having our first baby so we will be busy for awhile. I want to replace the speakers within a week.

[@CatEyeDay]

So If I have 2 12” subs at 600rms each I should get a amp that’s exactly 1200 watts ?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes, 1200 watts RMS. But keep in mind that some brands do not give accurate power ratings.kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKqZqolna8-aorc

[@CatEyeDay]

@@DIYAudioGuy thank you

[@HIGHROLLAZAUTOCLUB]

For speakers Which power rating do you use when it say AES power and continuous power and peak power?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That is a great question, join us on our next live show and we will try to give a detailed answer: bit.ly/3PYKG5P

[@HIGHROLLAZAUTOCLUB]

@@DIYAudioGuy I watched it but didn’t hear anything about it. Not sure if I missed it.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@HIGHROLLAZAUTOCLUB that was last week's show, we're going to be doing it again next week

[@tudeddy7026]

So if I want to power 4 speakers at 250 rms each and 2 speakers at 150 rms each. What amp would go good with them?

[@Thestory2002]

Hello what about the Nobel 5.1 home theatre?Check it out kindly.

[@larrybowleg1839]

Are you using voltage and watts interchangeably?

[@larrybowleg1839]

No worries, I found the answer out the longer I watched :)

[@DIYAudioGuy]

No worries!

[@amgil475]

Please help me with this ,, if i have sony stereo ( dsx a416bt) rated at 55×4 max ,, can i power 4 pioneer 4 way ts a1680f with 80 rms each ?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yes.

[@amgil475]

@@DIYAudioGuy so i dont need an amplifier ( the sony stereo is 20 rms per speaker) that is quarter of the speakers rms , will they sound good or i have to turn the volume to the max ?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@amgil475 You don't have to have an 80 watt amplifier to drive 80 watt speakers. The speakers will operate just fine with anything less than 80 watts. It will not be as loud but it will still work. You won't have to crank the radio up to full volume to get sound out of them. Will it sound better with an amplifier? Probably. Will it be louder with it amplifier? Absolutely. If that's what you're going for then buy an amplifier. But if you're just trying to get some speakers hooked up so you can get some music then you don't need to add an amplifier.

[@amgil475]

@@DIYAudioGuy and on that 20 rms stereo , which will be lowder a jbl 6.5 with 45 rms or pioneer 6.5 with 80 rms ? , in other words, will the 20 rms stereo sound the same on 40-60-80 rms speakers in terms of sound pressure and loudness ? And which could perform better if i have to choose 40-60-80 rms on 20 rms stereo .

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@amgil475 If you look at the specifications for the speaker they will have a sensitivity number measured in decibels, the one with the highest sensitivity will be the loudest. It sounds to me like getting loud as your goal, so go ahead and get an amplifier.

[@suthtokcraew1227]

my monoblock is rated 500w rms at 2ohm and 1000w of peak, for the 1000w peak when does it work ?? or its just marketing ? then my sub is rated 500w rms and 1500w peak, that mean my sub can handle up to 1500w before damaged ? sorry im newbie

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Peak is just marketing.

[@akolngto9314]

@@DIYAudioGuy so even if you parallel/serries? It still 500wrms? If the rms of sub is ein 500wrms?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@akolngto9314 yes

[@jakob3647]

can i power 100 RMS / 200 Peak speakers with a 120 Watts? or should i go for more?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

120w is more than enough for a 100w speaker. Ignore that peak number, it is meaningless.

[@miaomimi]

So, if the speaker's Peak Power is 2400 Watts Watts Per Pair (1200 Watts Each), Program Power is 1200 Watts Per Pair (600 Watts Each), and the RMS Power is 600 Watts Per Pair (300 Watts Each), I can just buy a 300W+300W amplifier should be good, right?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Yep.

[@miaomimi]

@@DIYAudioGuy Thank you, sir!!!!

[@MrRes1cue]

Why didn't you mention the Lumy's capability to display the RMS voltage at the bottom of the waveform screen. It is different than peak voltage number that will display if youbwere to switch back to the voltage screen, which will be showing the current max voltage.

[@garethlyle1038]

Hi how can I set my EQ please help

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It is hard to give advice on that. Best bet is to get something like plus an app so you can visualize the frequencies. parts-express.sjv.io/rn6KDj

[@nasa9439]

What did the 4 represent in the equation? Was it Ohms?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

4 was n, the number of observations, or the number of measurements taken on the sinewave.

[@nasa9439]

@@DIYAudioGuy oh. Ok. Thank you.

[@nasa9439]

@@DIYAudioGuy So if it was 2 cycles, the denominator would’ve been 8? Just to double check. 🧐🤔

[@dragan3290]

Why have the ratings changed so much? For example; a Yamaha A-520 amplifier rated at 75 watts RMS Into 8- 16 Ohms matched with a pair of Realistic Mach 2 loudspeakers. Rating at 160 watts Peak. I later added a pair of rear speakers at 4 ohm, 100 watts peak. Little bookshelf speakers on stands my brother made me. My friends would always say : how is your stereo louder than a bloody nightclub? And they always referred to a family member that spent over 1 grand on a system that sounded like a little transistor radio in comparison? Also?: how much did you really spend? Because it's deafening. Etc. I even used my system as a PA system with my first marriage. I used a tape deck with a mic input and jambed on record. LOL. Worked like a charm. Big hotel with big floor area. Yet a poverty system sounded perfect in that environment. But only 75 watts per channel RMS? I also went by the weight of the Amplifier as it felt like someone put a solid brick or 2 inside! Any reply appreciated? I have an engineer friend who I still buy Subwoofers to install for friends and family. He explained that things were made with better glues and Resins? He told me how he worked for JBL In the UK as a production manager. He had to tell the assembly crew what glues to use on cheaper speakers and to use better quality glues on dearer speakers! He says still to this day: it doesn't matter what brand? If your paying top dollar for the best in any brand basically you will Have an excellent reliable sound system. Sorry for rambling! But is this true? Cheers from Australia

[@DIYAudioGuy]

I really don't know. Part of the problem is that consumers only understand watts and that's all they look at. There is a lot more than goes in making good sound.

[@slazinger]

The big misconception about this topic is that people keep calling it RMS power, when it is in fact AVERAGE power. Yes, you use RMS Voltage to calculate AVERAGE power, the math just works out like that. You could take the RMS of the power wave if you wanted, but that doesn't have any physical significance or use.

[@a-listercrowley2737]

Brief moment in time Hawking reference?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Nope

[@a-listercrowley2737]

@@DIYAudioGuy thank god... I read that book and it felt more like a rant than brain food...

[@mitchellcrager9933]

Am i the only one that is SOOO Confused right now?? Man i couldn't be more lost if you had said it all in German!!

[@deathtoflesh]

Peak is a BS marketing scam.. any REPUTABLE company didn't even use a "peak" rating..

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Several reputable companies will put a max or peak power rating on the box. Kicker and Kenwood both do that. But both of those brands will also list an appropriately rated RMS power on the box and in the manual, and both of those brands produce amps that actually meet their rated RMS power.

[@williampercival3472]

When you purchase PA speakers advertising at 2000 Watts each is false advertising very confusing to many RMS root means square

[@DIYAudioGuy]

A lot of pro audio stuff will write their equipment using program power. I have no idea what that means.

[@richardpowers9064]

Why so complicated ? Simply multiply Peak voltage by .707 that equals RMS voltage.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Sometimes it is nice to know why the simply method works.

[@elcaminosupersport]

Looks too complicated for me to find amp watts I just use my clamp

[@DIYAudioGuy]

That's the best way to do it.

[@jeffm2787]

My comments keep getting removed, I guess it's due to the links I've added. As of 2000 the FTC no longer uses RMS Watts as it's not a correct term. Google Audio Power and look for the Wikipedia article. Just drop RMS from the statement and stick with Watts or Continuous Average Power and it's good. RMS Watts is not a correct term. If this comment gets removed I'll know it's the channel owner.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It's the links, KZbin does that automatically.

[@jeffm2787]

@@DIYAudioGuy Thanks, just to clarify I'm not saying your wrong in what you are doing. The Watts RMS or RMS Power is just a term that needs to die off. We just want the Watts, not the RMS Watts. RMS voltage is a correct term as is RMS Current, just not RMS Watts. RMS voltage squared divided by the load impedance can get you the watts. But you wouldn't then say we need the RMS of that wattage.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@jeffm2787 You're good.

[@elzeeky1]

RMS= rated minimum power

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Not sure what you are going for here, RMS is root mean square. Did you watch the video?

[@elzeeky1]

Yes that's what the audio dealers once told me but it was also written on the speaker box root mean sound now I know thanks

[@chrisbauer1925]

While this is all true as far as the consumer is concerned, It should really be called Average Power not RMS Power. The so called "RMS Power" given in specifications sheets is actually the average power rating. If you actually calculate the root mean square of the power waveform you get an incorrect (higher) number. Referring to Average power as RMS power makes no sense and is simply mathematically wrong, and was a term that likely originated with someone who didn't understand electrical engineering.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

AC power is a lot more complicated than most people realize. All of the stuff that you and I are talking about only applies for restive loads. Most loads are reactive.

[@chrisbauer1925]

@@DIYAudioGuy This is very true indeed, though most power amps are rated into a resistive load. Either way, referring to average power as RMS power is wrong, even though it seems to be accepted for some reason in the audio world. RMS is only really useful for voltage or for current. When dealing with power, average is the relevant quantity, and can be calculated by multiplying the RMS current and RMS voltage, assuming a resistive load of course. but the point is that for resistive loads, RMS Voltage x RMS current = AVERAGE power, not "RMS" Power, which is a term that simply isn't describing the quantity that is being given. While you could actually calculate the Root Mean Square of the power waveform, it would not actually be the same value as what people people mean when they say RMS power or average power, and would have no real utility.

[@str8upkickyaindanuts289]

@@chrisbauer1925 I recently developed a AC power meter and was left scratching my head wondering what the heck I was doing wrong in my code, come to find out... you can't calculate power as you stated. After a bit more research it all became clear where I was going wrong but I think it's okay to say RMS power, my reasoning is that the consumer knows the values used were RMS and not peak values. If you call it AVERAGE power then that infers that you averaged the instantaneous power which will give an incorrect value as it does for voltage and current, the RMS voltage and RMS current need to be used so the name RMS seems fitting IMO. As for the amplifier ratings the final load impedance is all that matters, because it makes no difference to the amp what the power factor is, every drop of the power it's making is real to the amp. Wouldn't be the first time I'm wrong but am I missing something significant?

[@chrisbauer1925]

@@str8upkickyaindanuts289 "If you call it AVERAGE power then that infers that you averaged the instantaneous power" Yes that is what I was implying. "which will give an incorrect value as it does for voltage and current" This is incorrect. Vrms * Irms = P average.

[@kevinwilliams482]

Anyone come here because they thought this was about ham/cb radio amps lol

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Should be the same math.

[@kevinwilliams482]

@@DIYAudioGuy it relatively is just a bit different when its rf energy

[@JonathanLopez-tw8ef]

Lol.thought it was rated measure sound rms

[@DIYAudioGuy]

👍

[@JonathanLopez-tw8ef]

@@DIYAudioGuy What you think about isobaric?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@JonathanLopez-tw8ef I think it's a pretty cool setup, the main advantage is you can cut the airspace of the enclosure in half. The main disadvantages you have to buy double the number of subwoofers.

[@JonathanLopez-tw8ef]

@@DIYAudioGuy ok what about amp watts in isobaric

[@DIYAudioGuy]

@@JonathanLopez-tw8ef It's the same as any pair of speakers in parallel.

[@mirzasaj]

Why dont manufacturers just produce one wave length amplifier and mention only rms value instead of peak values no one cares about peak because after peaks actually the systems shuts off its like ur car runs on 12v u can have max peak of of good battery voltage of 14 but if you give it 16+ the wires will fry!!

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It's all marketing. Power is an easy thing for consumers to understand and compare across products.

[@JoshM7]

Oh no not math. That's another language to me. 😅

[@DIYAudioGuy]

👍

[@kdogg071]

What?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

Watt.

[@jasoncohoon3914]

Rms = 70.7% of peak value mathematically

[@DIYAudioGuy]

For voltage yes.

[@adamsonlinearrayspeakersha87]

Haha

[@DIYAudioGuy]

👍

[@superchile9640]

Peak- completely made up word in the car audio world

[@gregoryratliff73]

sorry i asked.

[@DIYAudioGuy]

?

[@gregoryratliff73]

@@DIYAudioGuy lol meaning i still don’t understand, but i figured it out.

[@Bread.--__--]

I have a problem, I have a system that needs 950 rms my amp only provides 150 rms and it isn't a bad amp, do I need 950 rms?

[@DIYAudioGuy]

It will still operate with less power.