12.5v and 14.4v

[turnstylez18 10+ year member]

i am looking at the specs of an amp and it says 400rms x1 @2ohm for 12.5v mono...and 500 rms x1 @ 2 ohm for 14.4v mono...

what is this? how will i know if im using 14.4 and 12.5 v??

so what is the real rms rating?

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[B_Master_Flash 10+ year member]

you can't directly control the voltage going into your amp. 12.5 is the lowest voltage it should see in your car and 14.4 is the highest it could possibly see. The actual wattage you see in your car will be somwhere between those, provided it isn't underrated.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

i am looking at the specs of an amp and it says 400rms x1 @2ohm for 12.5v mono...and 500 rms x1 @ 2 ohm for 14.4v mono...what is this? how will i know if im using 14.4 and 12.5 v??

so what is the real rms rating?

12.5v ~ 12.8v is the typical dc voltage present in your car when the engine isn't running.

14.4v is standard system voltage with the car running (alternator charging).

It isn't a concrete number applicable to every car, mind you, just general guidelines to go by. After having my alternator rebuilt to support my audio gear charging system voltage, both on an external DMM and the voltmeter in my radar detector, shows to hold a steady 14.8v at anything over 1500 RPM no matter what I've got turned on (AirCon, headlights and/or foglights, stereo, etc)

The only way to know whether you're showing your amp 12.5v or 14.4v is to have a voltmeter - whether it be a permanently installed one or just using a DMM at the amp's power terminals.

 

[turnstylez18 10+ year member]

oh alrite...the amp im looking is the jl e1400d...so i should believe that this amp is really 400rms

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Yes.