Head unit rated power myth
Car stereo deck power is very deceptive! Many mainframes are on the box or have a large power rating on the front of the unit! The highest unit power I actually tested was 13 watts [half the THD]...so even if the host unit says 35 watts or 40 watts per channel it wouldn't expect it to really exceed it 15! Just can't happen!
Real amplifiers use a large amount of power in the toroidal transformer to "boost" the voltage, which can generate a lot of power! For large transformers required for large power supplies, there is not enough space in the main unit, so don't expect the power of each speaker to exceed the unit's built-in amplifier circuit. Some reputable hosts may print high power ratings on the box, but if you read the small prints in the spec sheet in the user manual, they may recognize 15 watts! Alpine's V-Drive main unit is set to output 60 watts per channel, using a direct 10AWG power cord directly from the positive terminal of the car battery, but once you have finished reading the rules, you are fine. You will see that the actual power output is up to 26 watts per channel. This is still one of the most powerful hosts on the market...power is 26 watts.
Most high-power stereo systems use bridged outputs [also known as floating ground or push-pull], and the unit uses an IC chip so that the two speaker wires of each speaker push together and the other pulls [which can be said] is like a real What to do when the amplifier is bridged However, unlike a real amplifier, most car stereos cannot be bridged. Even so, there is no transformer in the head unit that severely limits it, and each speaker has an output power of about 12 to 13 watts.
If these specifications are incorrect, how do they print these specifications? So, first of all, car audio is not regulated like a home stereo. A few years ago, the Federal Trade Commission asked home audio manufacturers to print accurate power ratings based on standard test procedures. Car audio does not exist [many], so the wording of this requirement does not include car audio. Therefore, contrary to RMS, less cautious manufacturers will print peak power ratings. Peak power rating [commonly referred to as the "maximum" because it sounds better] is a measure of what an amplifier can do in a short amount of time. RMS [often called "continuous" because it sounds better] is a more realistic measurement. This is the power that the amplifier can continue to output for a longer period of time. Accurate peak and RMS measurements provide a good understanding of the amplifier's ability [to produce a heartbeat bass that requires peak measurements, which requires more power than continuous music, which requires RMS power]. However, there is no standard for measuring peak power between manufacturers, so most devices cannot trust it.
Orignal From: Master unit power: What should you know?
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