Why weak wattage?

[Stub Mandrel]

6 hours ago, godathunder said:

Do you think that all manufacturers measure their amps' power output the same way?

 

Do you believe in fairies and a flat earth? 😁

[godathunder]

5 hours ago, TimR said:

 

No. They don't.

 

There will be a THD% accompanying the X Watts at 1kHz. That will tell you how much distortion the amp suffers at that output. The lower the better. 

 

 

it's not just the thd that differs although thats a biggie.

how long did it sustain this output power before limiting kicks in?

at what frequency (was it 20-20k or just 1k)?

what is the crest factor of the signal used?

was the amp degraded or damaged to produce this figure?

are the quoted watts rms, peak, music power or aes (among others)? (aes should be the modern standard but Im still skeptical that it's evenly applied)

what was the ambient temperature when tested?

was the test carried out using a passive or reactive load (can the amp absorb the back emf generated by a speaker and still retain control of the coil)

 

that's just off the top of my head. there is just too much wiggle room to skew results, making the figures pretty easy to inflate and ultimately pointless

 

similarly, I have some led lighting that's marketed as c700w. actual power consumption is nearer 100w so this bullshit isnt just inflicted on the audio sector

[godathunder]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Do you believe in fairies and a flat earth? 😁

 

I have more faith in both than I do in your average piece of audio marketing fluff 

[Stub Mandrel]

4 hours ago, godathunder said:

similarly, I have some led lighting that's marketed as c700w. actual power consumption is nearer 100w so this bullshit isnt just inflicted on the audio sector

 

My Orange Terror is rated 500W. The power consumption is given as 650W. This is unusual (although @agedhorse explained that most amps typically quote a value based on an assumed duty cycle).

 

I also respect Vox; they understate their amp power. The AC30 is comparable to a Marshall 100W. My Vox Valvestate 20 is a 30W amp.

[Beedster]

I plug in my 600w Mesa head and 1516 cab at home, at rehearsals, and on stage. If I want more volume I turn it up, if I want less I turn it down. Occasionally I feel it would be easier to have a smaller and lighter rig for smaller gigs, but I get over it once I hear it

[agedhorse]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

My Orange Terror is rated 500W. The power consumption is given as 650W. This is unusual (although @agedhorse explained that most amps typically quote a value based on an assumed duty cycle).

 

I also respect Vox; they understate their amp power. The AC30 is comparable to a Marshall 100W. My Vox Valvestate 20 is a 30W amp.

 

The safety regulatory statement for power consumption is required by the standards (UL/cUL/IEC 60065 or 62368) to be stated at a minimum of 1/8-rated "RMS" power at the lowest rated load, which corresponds to a duty cycle of 12.5% (but the manufacturer may at their option use a higher number). This number originated from the hi-fi world where this was considered the approximate duty cycle of an unclipped full range signal (which IMO is unrealistic for bass guitar).

 

If the normal operation of the amp is intended to be compressed, overdriven or distorted, the stated duty cycle may be increased to reflect the additional power consumed under these conditions at the manufacturer's option. Most test labs will test to verify that the amp can sustain the increased duty cycle without failure or presenting a safety/fire hazard under a test sequence called "abnormal conditions" testing, but not always (depending on the lab and the test routine because other abnormal conditions testing elements may suffice).